Folia archeologica 22.

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

I 44 ZS. S. LOVAG On the obverse the figure of Christ in relief is standing with outstretched arms, wearing the colobium, over his head, slightly bent to one side, is a cross. On the reverse there is the orant figure of the Virgin in relief. H.: 7 cm, W. : 3,5 cm. It came into the possession of the Hungarian National Museum by way of barter and was said to have been found together with two silver coins of St. Ladislas of Hungary. The reverse of a pectoral cross (Fig. 1. 110.3) unknown provenance. (Inv. no. 61. 96. B.) Its form and the rendering of the Virgin are quite similar to the reverse of the former cross. H. : 6,7 cm; W. : 3,4 cm. Reliquary pectoral cross (Fig. /. nos. 4a-!)) from Dunapentele. (Inv. no. 1912. 98- 12.) Regarding its form it is identical with the former ones. On the obverse is the figure of Christ in relief, wearing the colobium, with outstretched arms, his head slightly bent to one side. At the end of each cross arm, i.e. above his head and below his limbs, is a bust rendered quite schematically. On the reverse is the orant figure of the Virgin; the cross arms end in a bust each, no longer definable. H. : 7,4 cm; W. : 3,7 cm. It was acquired by the Museum, along with several other objects of different periods, by means of purchase.

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5 Obverse of a reliquary pectoral cross (Fig. 2. no. 1). Szőny. (Inv. no. 1877. 52. 2.) Its form and the representation on it are most closely related to the obverse of the Dunapentele cross. The object shows strong signs of wear. H.: 7,8 cm; W. : 3,9 cm. It was purchased by the Museum; the circumstances of finding are unknown.

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6 Reverse of a reliquary pectoral cross (Fig. 2. no. 2). Tápióbicske. (Inv. no 52.207.) Its form and the representation on it are nearly quite similar to those of the reverse of the Dunapentele cross. H.: 7,7 cm; W. : 3,8 cm. It came to light at Tápióbicske, in the vineyard belonging to the house 138, Kossuth Lajos Street, from a depth of 50 cm, and was acquired by the Museum by means of purchase. Reverse of a reliquary pectoral cross (Fig. 2. no. j). Tiszaörvény. (Inv. no. 70.32.i.e.) As in the case of the former one, its form and representation are almost identical with those of the reverse of the Dunapentele cross. It shows strong signs of wear. H. : 7,8 cm ; W. : 4 cm. The cross was uncovered at Tiszaörvény-Templomdomb, in the child's grave no. 440. The grave was situated in the eleventh century part of the cemetery ; as another grave good a bronze lock ring was found.

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5 Published by hrirány-Oberscball, Ai., op. cit. 217., Fig. 66. 1

6 Ibid. Fig. 66/d. 1

7 Published by Horváth, В., Arch. Ért. 97 (1970) 128., Fig. 3. no. 4.