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Byzantine Art :
Byzantine Crosses : Byzantine Silvered Bronze Reliquary Cross with St. John
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Byzantine Silvered Bronze Reliquary Cross with St. John - X.0056
Origin: Eastern Mediterranean
Circa: 8
th
Century AD
to 12
th
Century AD
Dimensions:
3.125" (7.9cm) high
Collection: Byzantine Art
Medium: Silvered Bronze
$7,500.00
Location: United States
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| Description |
A reliquary is a receptacle for keeping or
displaying sacred relics. For Christians, relics
were objects connected with saints or the actual
physical remains of saints. The veneration of the
sacred relics of martyrs is a practice known to
date from at least as early as the 2nd century.
The Crusades led to an influx of relics from the
Middle East and reliquaries became popular
items of adornment used for protection by
crusaders and the wealthy elite who could afford
such luxuries. Although the practice of
veneration was defended both by the 13th
century theologian St. Thomas Aquinas and by
the Council of Trent in the 16th century, the
veneration of icons has always had a greater
importance in the Eastern Orthodoxy.
This beautiful Byzantine reliquary cross once
housed the relics of a Christian martyr, perhaps
even St. John himself whose image has been
incised onto the front of the cross. The saint
stands with his arms outstretched and are
identified by the Greek inscription HOANIC above
his head; branches with berries are incised below
his hands adding a nice decorative element. On
the reverse side, incised pyramidal shapes
topped by flowers decorate each arm, and in the
center is an unidentified bust. This suggestive
style heightens the spirituality of the work, for it
is the idea of the holiness of the Saint that is the
focus, not his physicality. The incised
decorations are remarkably vivid and the overall
condition of this Latin-shaped reliquary cross is
outstanding; notice that the original suspension
loop is still intact. The sacred, protective
energies of this spectacular reliquary cross
continue to radiate outwards, still as potent and
powerful as the day it was first worn.
- (X.0056)
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