Lot Essay
For a similar example in the Kanellopoulos Museum in Athens see no. 22, p. 58 in Evans and Wixom, eds., The Glory of Byzantium, Art and Culture of the Middle Byzantine Era, A.D. 843-1261.
.jpg?w=1)
CIRCA 10TH CENTURY A.D.
Details
A BYZANTINE BRONZE PROCESSIONAL CROSS
Circa 10th Century A.D.
Solid cast, the flaring arms each terminating in elongated flanges, the surface with finely engraved ornament, with compass-drawn rosettes and three arches at the ends of each arm, beading along the edges, small encircled flowers in the center of each arm surrounding the circular bezel-set blue glass cabochon at the center, the upper vertical arm with a Greek inscription designating the church to which the cross belonged, signo tou archistrategou, "the standard [cross] of the General [=Archangel Michael]," the lower arm engraved with a similarly-shaped processional cross emerging from floral scrolling issuing from the rosette below, the lower edge of the horizontal arm perforated six times for suspension of now-lost elements, a tapering wedge projecting from the lower arm for insertion into its iron base, which is a hollow shaft bulging to a lentoid knob at one end
28½ in. (72.4 cm) high
Circa 10th Century A.D.
Solid cast, the flaring arms each terminating in elongated flanges, the surface with finely engraved ornament, with compass-drawn rosettes and three arches at the ends of each arm, beading along the edges, small encircled flowers in the center of each arm surrounding the circular bezel-set blue glass cabochon at the center, the upper vertical arm with a Greek inscription designating the church to which the cross belonged, signo tou archistrategou, "the standard [cross] of the General [=Archangel Michael]," the lower arm engraved with a similarly-shaped processional cross emerging from floral scrolling issuing from the rosette below, the lower edge of the horizontal arm perforated six times for suspension of now-lost elements, a tapering wedge projecting from the lower arm for insertion into its iron base, which is a hollow shaft bulging to a lentoid knob at one end
28½ in. (72.4 cm) high
Provenance
German Private Collection