Prékopa Ágnes (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 30. (Budapest, 2016)
Szilveszter TERDIK: “Athonite” Miniature Carvings at the Museum of Applied Arts
Athonite cross, it was made by a certain Stefan Ivankovics, from Zombor, probably at the beginning of the eighteenth century.25 The museum’s Athonite collection expanded significantly in the third quarter of the twentieth century thanks to a number of purchases. One purchase from a private individual was for an altar cross,26 consisting of a round convex base, with the shaft, divided by a node, rising from its centre, holding a metal case in the form of a Latin cross, inside which is concealed a small carving. (Fig. 3) The open sides of the cross-shaped case are divided into ogee- arched fields by frames made of filigree. Filigree decorations, which also contain corals, adorn the points where the end- plates of the arms of the case meet the arms of the cross. The case is held together with the help of rings soldered onto the side plates, and the ends of wires threaded through these rings are decorated with white beads. The spaces between the filigree wires soldered to the side plates of the mounting are filled with blue and green enamel. The convex base of the cross is of gilded chased silver. The boxwood carving may have been made at the beginning of the eighteenth century, perhaps even in one of the monasteries on Mount Athos. One side shows a Crucifixion scene which has at its centre a particularly vivid depiction of Christ on the Cross, while at either end of the crosspiece are half-length portrayals of the Lamenting Virgin and John the Apostle. Half- length depictions of evangelists feature at the base and top of the upright shaft. On the other side of the carving is the Virgin Mary, with the Holy Infant in her arms looking up at her, but seemingly stretching out his hand towards the bearded man on the shorter arm of the cross. The four accompanying figures on the arms of the cross cannot be clearly identified due to the absence of any inscriptions, although the figures at the top and bottom of the shaft are probably two evangelists. A good number of crosses of similar size and shape can be found in other collections, and they can sometimes be dated from their 3. Altar cross, Mount Athos (?), Balkans, eighteenth century. Boxwood, silver, brass, enamel, coral. Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest, inv. no: 60.692.1 59
