VINTAGE STERLING SILVER LARGE 2" ORTHODOX CRUCIFIX with HOLY FACE and ST. ANDREW

Description: Vintage or antique sterling silver large (approx. 2" tall with bale and jump ring; weight approx. 3.6 g) Orthodox Crucifix pendant featuring plain and humble right-angled design with iconic images of the Crucifixion with the Instruments of the Passion and the Holy Face of Jesus (icon "Not Made by Human Hand") in the top part. The reverse shows an icon of St. Andrew the Apostle with words of the traditional Orthodox "Protection" prayer, and image of a Seraph. The reverse displays the "925" print in the top part just below the bale indicating the "sterling" purity of solid silver. It has been confirmed using the silver acid test. The pendant has vintage or antique appearance with signs of aging and wear that might include diminished quality of the artwork, deformations of its original shape, scratches, dents, and patches of discoloration/patina. Its large soldered jump ring shows signs of wear consistent with many years of devotional wearing of the pendant. The size and weight of the item are shown on the photographs for this listing.The obverse bears an iconic image of the Crucifixion according to the Orthodox tradition. The Savior is depicted crucified on the three-bar Suppedaneum cross that is venerated as the True Savior's Cross in the Slavonic Orthodox and some Eastern Catholic churches. Such a cross has three horizontal crossbeams: the top one represents the "INRI" nameplate, and the bottom one, a footrest. The footrest crossbeam is depicted pointing up, toward Heaven, on Christ's right hand side where the Penitent thief, St. Dismas was crucified. The top part of the vertical crossbar above the Savior's Cross bears a smaller image of the Holy Face of Jesus ("Not Made by Human Hands"), which is considered to be the oldest known Christian icon, and also the oldest known portrait of Jesus. According to the Eastern Church tradition, Jesus made an imprint of His face by wiping it with a linen cloth, which was sent to King Abgar of Edessa to cure his leprosy. The image of the Holy Face of Christ on the cloth was preserved for centuries in Edessa as the most sacred treasure. In 944, the Byzantines brought it with a great veneration to Constantinople. It remained there until the capture of the city by the Crusaders in 1204, when it was lost. However, by that time, numerous copies of the image were painted as the Holy Icons, preserving the sacred image to this day. This icon is called in Greek "Achieropoietos", meaning "not made by human hands". In the Byzantine tradition, the image was sometimes called the Mandylion, meaning "small handkerchief". In the Western Catholic tradition, the image is known as the image of the Holy Face of Jesus, as preserved on the Veil of Saint Veronica.The space between the Holy Face icon and the top part of the Savior's Cross is filled with the abbreviated inscription in Church Slavonic meaning "KING OF GLORY".The left and right side ends of the pendant's horizontal crossbar bear the Sacred Name of Jesus Christ inscribed as the "IC XC" Greek Christogram, the "IC" on the left, and the "XC" on the right. The space within the horizontal crossbar of the pendant around Christ's arms is filled with text in Church Slavonic representing an Orthodox hymn: "BEFORE THY HOLY CROSS WE BOW DOWN IN WORSHIP, O LORD...".Parallel to the vertical crossbar, there are images of the two Instruments of the Passion (Arms of Christ, Arma Christi), the Holy Lance (spear) of a Roman soldier, and the Holy Sponge attached to the end of a cane. They are subjects to adoration along with the Cross, and are often depicted on the "Golgotha" Slavonic Orthodox crosses worn as baptism body crosses for the entire life of a faithful Christian. The bottom sloped horizontal crossbar of the Savior's Cross has the Greek "NIKA" ("VICTORIOUS") inscription made in a Cyrillic transliteration as "HИKA", an ancient symbol of Christ's victory over sin and death achieved on the Cross.The bottom end of the vertical crossbar bears a six-letter abbreviation in Cyrillic letters including "МЛРБ" ("MLRB") meaning "The CALVARY BECAME PARADISE", and "ГГ" ("GOLGOTHA HILL"), symbols of the execution place becoming a place of the redemption and reclaiming of the lost paradise. The reverse bears an image representing an icon of Saint Andrew the Apostle holding fisherman's net in his hands - Andrew and his brother Simon Peter were fishermen by trade whom Jesus called to be His disciples by saying that He will make them "fishers of men". St. Andrew is also known in the Orthodox tradition as the “First-Called” Apostle of Christ. St. Andrew is considered the founder and the first bishop of the Church of Byzantium, and is the patron Saint of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. A Church tradition regarding the early Christian history of Slavic countries holds that St. Andrew preached on the southern borders of modern-day Ukraine, along the Black Sea. Legend has it that he traveled up the Dnieper River and reached the future location of Kyiv, where he erected a cross on the site where the St. Andrew's Church of Kyiv currently stands, and where he prophesied the foundation of a great Christian city. the name of the Saint is inscribed in Cyrillic letters next to his image.The horizontal crossbar just above the St. Andrew's icon bears an inscription of the traditional Slavonic Orthodox prayer meaning "Save and Protect" positioned between two panels with Slavic-style ornaments. The top part of vertical crossbar end bears an image of a six-winged Seraph, the highest angelic being with a fiery passion for doing God's works, symbolizing the Gates of Heaven opened by the Savior's Cross. 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 decorative stone and measuring meter are not for sale, and are photographed with the item in order to provide a size reference. Please ask all questions before making a purchase. There are no guarantees with the listing because most items are original vintage or antique objects 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 shipping is handled by Ebay. International buyers, please ask your shipping questions, if any, 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.

Price: 79 USD

Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

End Time: 2024-09-03T00:14:54.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0 USD