{"product_id":"antique-18th-century-russian-orthodox-pectoral-cross-golgotha-passion-of-christ","title":"Antique 18th Century Russian Orthodox Pectoral Cross – Golgotha \u0026 Passion of Christ","description":"\u003cp\u003e- Listing by Walter Jr\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e There is something especially moving about a Christian object which has survived for centuries. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis wonderful old \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRussian Orthodox pectoral cross dates approximately to the 18th century\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, and has a beautifully distinctive form, with broad outward-flaring arms, an elongated lower section and its original suspension loop still remaining at the top.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAt the center is the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHoly Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, raised prominently from the surface and forming the heart of the entire design.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe surrounding decoration has been softened tremendously by age and wear, but traces of the original religious imagery and markings can still be seen across the arms and body of the cross. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis was a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003epectoral cross — a cross intended to be worn upon the body\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. It was not made simply as decoration. It was a personal expression of Christian faith, carried close to the person who owned it and centered upon the greatest sign of our salvation: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ethe Holy Cross of Jesus Christ.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe extraordinary wear upon its surface tells us that this was not an object which spent its life untouched.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSomeone carried it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSomeone wore it through ordinary days and difficult ones, through work, prayer and all the unseen moments of a life now long forgotten. We may never know the name of the Christian to whom it belonged, but the softened surface remains a quiet testimony to the years it spent in use.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe cross retains a wonderfully ancient\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e appearance, with extensive surface wear, patination, deposits and areas of loss consistent with considerable age. Its irregularities and worn details are part of its history.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA remarkable little survivor from the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOrthodox Christian world of 18th-century Russia\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, and a beautiful reminder of generations of believers who carried their faith quite literally close to their hearts.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAt its center, after all these years, remains the same image around which the Christian faith has always been centered:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ethe Holy Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cukierski Family","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42895884877904,"sku":null,"price":129.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0205\/9182\/files\/94958B85-E01D-4B59-9EF1-EF9A3DEC998F.png?v=1788556739","url":"https:\/\/www.cukierski.net\/products\/antique-18th-century-russian-orthodox-pectoral-cross-golgotha-passion-of-christ","provider":"Cukierski Family","version":"1.0","type":"link"}