Prékopa Ágnes (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 30. (Budapest, 2016)

Szilveszter TERDIK: “Athonite” Miniature Carvings at the Museum of Applied Arts

frame beside the angel on the left side has broken off.

On either side of the cross are carved four large Greek letters, each representing the initials of a brief formula of faith: “AnMZ” and “TKFir”. There are a number of solutions concerning what the letters stand for.33

The iconography of Athonite crosses followed different systems. One of the main groups consists of crosses decorated with (usually twelve) depictions of feast days - there are no crosses of this type in the Museum of Applied Arts. In another group, the Crucifixion is the central scene on one side, paired on the other side either

with the Mother of God (Theotokos) and the Infant Jesus, or a scene of the Theopha- ny/Epiphany (in the Eastern Church this refers to the Baptism of Christ), while the shorter arms usually bear portraits of the evangelists. The iconography of this latter group also refers to one of the functions of these crosses during the blessing of holy water (they are submerged three times while the blessing is made).

Encolpia

The collection also has several encolpia in different shapes (leaf-shaped, diptych, medallion).

6. Encolpion (open). Carving: Mount Athos, eighteenth century; metal case: Russian (?), 1751. Boxwood, silver, partly gilded. Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest, inv. no: 69.377.1

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