Folia archeologica 22.

Zsuzsa S. Lovag: Byzantine Type Reliquary Pectoral Crosses in the Hungarian National Museum

BYZANTINE TYPE RELIQUARY PECTORAL CROSSES IN THE HUNGARIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM ZSUZSA S. LOVAG In the Medieval Collection of the Hungarian National Museum twenty-two Byzantine type reliquaries in the form of pectoral crosses are preserved, some of them in fragmentary condition. The common features of these crosses are that they are made of bronze, their two halves are hinged together, their inside being hollow for containing the relics; and all of them reflect the influence of the Byzantine art, though they have not the same measures and differ also in technique and style. An investigation of these differences enables us to make an attempt for a grouping within the type and to publish the available finds hitherto mainly unpublished. As for the origin of the crosses they can be divided into two groups: one part of them originates from the Eastern provinces of the Byzantine empire, from Syria and Palestine; they are generally named, especially in the foreign literature, Palestinian crosses. Taking into consideration that the development of this type is, however, not localized to this area we thought it better to call this group the „Holy Land type". At the same time this nomination points to the function of these crosses: they were most probably made for the pilgrims of the Holy Land as souvenirs or devotional objects. The other group of the crosses was made on the territory of Russia; considering the recent results of research these are called here „Kiev type crosses". Pectoral Crosses of the Ho/j Lai/rl Type This group contains mainly cast bronze crosses in the form of a Latin cross, with flaring arms. Their decoration points to the Holy Land (as the place of origin) besides the crucified Christ the most important witnesses of his life and death are represented : first of all the Virgin and St. John, then the other evangelists or apostles and saints. Christ wears a long, sleeveless tunic (colobium) and seems rather to be standing with outstretched arms on the cross than hanging, according to the iconography of the Early Byzantine art. The Virgin is most frequently represented on the reverse in an orant position (Theotokos orans) or together with the Christ Child, in accordance with the schemes of the Early Byzantine art.

1 1 Sapka, G. NK 7 (1908) 138-139, 147, 156.