Description:

Eastern Europe, Russia, ca. late 18th century CE. A well-loved brass three-barred cross, the most symbolic and common shape in the Orthodox Church. The crucified Christ is the central image. The short topmost bar represents the sign reading "This is the King of the Jews" from Luke 23:38 that was nailed to the top of Christ's cross; the short bottom-most bar represents the foot rest on Christ's cross. This is depicted as slanted because it is believed that, in Christ's final moments, he kicked it out of place. The right side points upward to Heaven and the left side points downward to Hell. The uppermost bar contains a scene of heaven, with angels looking down; the lower bar shows a scene on earth. At the bottom of the cross is a skull which represents the skull of Adam, to remind us that Adam lost Paradise through forbidden knowledge, and Christ will return us to it. Size: 2.25" W x 3.9" H (5.7 cm x 9.9 cm)

Provenance: private Orange County, California, USA collection

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#124844

  • Condition: Wear on surface, with many of the details smoothed from touch and age. General form of surface decoration is still present. One arm is slightly bent.

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July 11, 2017 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $25,000