Watch List notes:

Byzantine Bronze Reliquary Cross; 12th-13th Century AD. The obverse of this elaborate cross renders Christ on the cross with three medallions terminating the sides and the top with busts of saints. The reverse renders Mother Mary holding the infant Jesus, again terminating in medallions with saints. The cross is patinated closed and under close magnification traces of gold gilding are visible. A similar piece discovered in Kiev, Ukraine in 2013 is an almost exact parallel. In ancient times the area was home to a monastery and served as a pilgrimage site for many Orthodox monks. Reliquaries may contain the purported or actual physical remains of a saint. Bones, pieces of clothing, and objects associated with saints or other religious figures are examples of what may have been enclosed in the reliquary. One of the finest we have ever handled. H. 4 1/4" W. 2 3/4" (10.8 cm x 7 cm)..

Buy price: $3950