ANTIQUE RUSSIAN SOLID SILVER 84 \"KOKOSHNIK\" ORTHODOX \"SKULL & CROSSBONES\" CROSS

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ANTIQUE RUSSIAN SOLID SILVER 84 \"KOKOSHNIK\" ORTHODOX \"SKULL & CROSSBONES\" CROSS:
$69.00

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Antique, rare Eastern Orthodox or Eastern/Greek Catholic Cross silver pendant inlaid with blue enamel featuring images of the encircled, \"Solar\" (Sun) Cross, the Star of Bethlehem, and the skull with crossbones. Handmade from solid silver (cast, soldered and struck by hand of a master silversmith), inlaid with blue enamel, partially preserved. Solid silver, bears the \"84\" silver hallmark, and the maker\'s mark. Origin likely c 19th century Imperial Russia.Overall good antique/vintage condition, mildly scratched and worn out likely due to devotional wearing by several generations of Christians, covered with spots of silver patina. The necklace loop in perfect condition. Could have been worn as a \"body\" (worn below all garments and underwear), Baptism pectoral cross by an Orthodox faithful.
The obverse of the cross pendant bears an image of a Latin- or Catholic style cross, surrounded by a circle, making an unusual for Eastern Orthodox body crosses image of a Celtic-style, Solar or Sun Cross. Interestingly, the Byzantine three-bar cross characteristic of the Russian Orthodox and some Eastern Catholic (Greek Catholic) churches tradition, is absent from this cross pendant.The rounded, \"budded\" ends of the crossbars are quite common for Byzantine-style crosses and resemble the golden domes of the Orthodox churches.
The top \"dome\" end of the cross pendant bears an image of a light-emitting star, likely representing the Star of Bethlehem a.k.a. Christmas Star, appearing in the Nativity Story of the Gospel of Matthew.
The side \"dome\" ends of the cross bears the Sacred Name of Jesus Christ, as the \"IC XC\" Greek Christogram.
An image of the skull with crossbones buried below the image of the Suppedaneum cross refers to Golgotha (Calvary), the elevated site where Jesus was crucified, which the Bible says means \"the place of the skull\" in Hebrew. An ancient tradition of Catholic and Orthodox Churches held that it was also the burial place of Adam, thus symbolizing the ultimate victory of Christ over sin and death.
The reverse of the cross pendant bears a three-letter abbreviation in Cyrillic letters (likely the silversmith\'s initials as a maker\'s mark) and the \"84\" hallmark of sterling silver, which was the Imperial Russian standard for silver based on the ancient \"zolotnik\" unit.Next to the \"84\" hallmark, there is the \"Kokoshnik\" official assay mark of the Imperial Russia used on sterling silver artwork since the late 19th century. The mark appears as a tiny profile of a woman\'s head with a Russian head dress named \"kokoshnik\".
Please examine all photographs carefully and do your own research if necessary. Please note that photographs are an important part of the item\'s description. The U.S. quarter coin, measuring meter, and decorative stones are not for sale, and are photographed with the item in order to provide a size reference and artistic background.Please ask all questions before making a purchase.There are no guarantees with the listing because most items are original artifacts that are quite old. All items are sold \"as is\" with no returns because of a change of mind offered. Shipping and handling is free for the continental US. International buyers, please ask me for a shipping quote prior to buying.Please note that customs regulations differ from country to country, and it is a buyer\'s responsibility to ensure that any customs fees or other duties collected by the buyer\'s country are paid and satisfied in full.

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ANTIQUE RUSSIAN SOLID SILVER 84 \"KOKOSHNIK\" ORTHODOX \"SKULL & CROSSBONES\" CROSS:
$69.00