Cross thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Jewellery, Rooms 91 to 93 mezzanine, The William and Judith Bollinger Gallery

Cross

18th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Before the revolution of 1917, almost all Orthodox Russians wore pendant crosses. These crosses were originally based on Byzantine patterns. Most are made of cast silver, and they frequently have complex designs with Cyrillic inscriptions and iconographic details which are unique to the Russian Orthodox Church. Like the filigree chains on which they were worn, they are very difficult to date accurately. Their design has remained unchanged for centuries and many crosses are still being made today from old originals.

This cross is much simpler than most Russian crosses, and resembles a Latin cross in shape. But the cross engraved on it conforms to Orthodox iconography. It has three cross bars, with the title at the top, and a slanting bar at the bottom. Below the cross are a skull and bones, signifying Golgotha, or ‘the place of the skull’, believed to mark the burial place of Adam.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Cast silver-gilt
Brief description
Silver-gilt cross, decorated on each side with a crucifix and the sacred monogram, Russia, 18th century.
Physical description
Cross with cast decoration of crosses and Cyrillic characters on front and back, and flowers on the sides.
Dimensions
  • Height: 5.6cm
  • Width: 3.2cm
  • Depth: 1cm
Subjects depicted
Summary
Before the revolution of 1917, almost all Orthodox Russians wore pendant crosses. These crosses were originally based on Byzantine patterns. Most are made of cast silver, and they frequently have complex designs with Cyrillic inscriptions and iconographic details which are unique to the Russian Orthodox Church. Like the filigree chains on which they were worn, they are very difficult to date accurately. Their design has remained unchanged for centuries and many crosses are still being made today from old originals.

This cross is much simpler than most Russian crosses, and resembles a Latin cross in shape. But the cross engraved on it conforms to Orthodox iconography. It has three cross bars, with the title at the top, and a slanting bar at the bottom. Below the cross are a skull and bones, signifying Golgotha, or ‘the place of the skull’, believed to mark the burial place of Adam.
Associated object
513-1869 (Ensemble)
Collection
Accession number
134-1866

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Record createdAugust 3, 2006
Record URL
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