Byzantine Cross Pendant with Flared Arms

拍品描述

Eastern Mediterranean, Byzantine Empire. A cast cross of equal-armed, flaring form, each arm swelling outward to a squared terminal flanked by a pair of rounded knobs, so that the silhouette reads as a crux pattee edged in beading. The metal is a heavily leaded copper-tin alloy, poured in a single piece and left largely unfinished, its surface now carrying a mottled green patina with earthen deposits caught in the recesses. A thick loop rises from the reverse for suspension, indicating the cross was worn or hung rather than fixed flat. Crosses of this weight and simplicity served as personal devotional emblems across the Byzantine world, worn at the breast as declarations of faith and as apotropaic guards against harm, the sign itself understood as protective long before it was ornamental. Size: 2.5" H x 2.125" W x 1" D (6.4 cm H x 5.4 cm W x 2.5 cm D). The crux pattee, with arms narrow at the crossing and flaring toward their ends, became one of the dominant cross forms of the Byzantine East from the sixth century onward, appearing on coinage, seals, reliquaries, and the humblest cast pendants alike. Knobbed or beaded terminals of the kind seen here echo the jeweled crosses (crux gemmata) of imperial and ecclesiastical art, where each terminal boss stood in for a mounted gem, translating an expensive metropolitan form into an affordable cast one for ordinary believers. The alloy is notable: roughly half lead, with copper and tin making up the remainder. Such high lead content lowers the melting point and improves the flow of metal into a mold, which suited the mass production of small devotional castings, though it produces a soft, dense object with little tensile strength. Please note that this piece contains a substantial proportion of lead and is not recommended for wear. SHIPPING: We coordinate worldwide shipping in-house through specialist international forwarders experienced with fine art and antiquities customs manifests. International buyers must confirm, prior to bidding, that their country's customs authority will accept the item. All duties, taxes, clearance fees, and any costs arising from customs delays, seizures, re-export, returns, or loss in transit are the buyer's sole responsibility. Artemis assumes no liability for items refused entry, detained, or lost after export. We cannot ship ancient items to their country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.).For those not using LiveAuctioneers' Live Ship program, Artemis Fine Arts offers expert in-house packing and worldwide shipping. With over 20 years of experience, our team provides careful, reliable, and affordable service. For a quick quote on this lot, please contact support@artemisfinearts.com prior to the auction, or call 720-890-7700. PAYMENT EXCEPTION: For clients not previously established with Artemis, payment for all gold, precious metal, and gemstone lots must be made by bank wire transfer or certified bank check/money order, without exception. Item #204583

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