Folia archeologica 22.

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

I 44 ZS. S. LOVAG Reliquary pectoral cross (Fig. 6. nos. ia-b

) of unknown provenance. (Inv. no. 1912. 108. 88.-For the inscription v. Appendix ja-b.) Its two halves are fastened together by hinges, the biconical loop for suspension decorated in the middle and on both sides with ribs, is also attached by a hinge. The arms end in round medallions flanked by globules. On the obverse is Christ on the Cross wearing the perizonium, on the titulus over his head stands: 1С XC. In the medallion at the end of each arm is a bust, that of the Virgin and St. John on the transverse arms, St. Nicholas (inscribed: NIKOL) at the top and St. Gregor-probably St. Gregor of Nazianz (inscribed : GRIGOR) at the bottom. Under the arms of Christ there is an inscription : KHR(EST) KR(ES)T NAM NAM U(TESHENIIE) POKHVALA (i. e. : the Cross is our glory, the Cross is our solace.) The central figure of the reverse is that of the Virgin, with her hands crossed on the breast, with the palms upwards; at the end of each cross arm a bust. The inscriptions indicate them to be St. Peter (at the top), St. Basil (at the lower end), St. Cosmas and Damian (at the ends of the transverse arms). Over the head and on the sides of the Virgin the inscription reads: S(VTA)TAIA B0[G]0(R0DI)TSE POMAGAI The inscription is in Russian, in Cyrillic letters, going backwards, which indicate that the inscription was engraved directly in the mould.

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5 The third letter of the second word is wrong, instead of "B" there should be a "G". H.: 8,5 cm (with suspension loop: 10 cm); W. : 5,5 cm. Reverse of a reliquary pendant cross (Fig. 6. no. 2) of unknown provenance. (Inv. no. 57. 6. B.) Except for its polygonal suspension loop it is exactly the same as the reverse of the former cross, only it is much more worn. H. : 8,4 cm, (with suspension : 9,9 cm.); W.

: 5,5 cm. Crosses closely related to these two are known in great numbers from Russia,

40 but they occur in other parts of Europe as well.

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7 They were made in Kiev, where their stone moulds were also found.

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5 The transliteration of the inscriptions and the elucidation of the sigla was made on an identical cross by Rybakov: Russkiie datirovannye nadpisi XI-XIV. vekov. (Moscow 1964) 39. No. 41., Pl. XXXIII. nos. 3-4. 4

6 l'etrov, N. I., Ukazatel Cerkovno-arkheologitcheskogo muzeia pri Kievskoi dukhovnoi akademii. (Kiev 1897) 233.; Kbanenko

, B. 1. and 1 N., op. cit. Pl. П. nos. 41-42.; Wybakov, fí. A., Remeslo . . . 462., Fig. 123.; Kor^ukbina, G. F., О pamiatnikah . . . Pl. IV. nos. 2-3.; Karger, M., Tainik pod Razvalinami Desiatinnoi Cerkvi. KSIA 10 (1941) 75.; Alikbova, A. E., Russkii poselok XIII-XIV. vekov u sela Berezovka. MIA 80. (Moscow i960) 198., Fig. 3. 4

7 Cross from Kolozsvár, published by Bdrdny-Oberscball, M., op. cit. Fig. 73/c. ; Cross from Csút-Budapest Historical Museum. ; Cross of the Vatican Museum: M/moz,A., op. cit. 158, 162., Fig. 125. 4

8 Kybakov, B. A., Istoriia kultury drevnel Rusi. Domongolskii period. Materialnaia kultura. (Leningrad 1948) 123., Fig. 78. nos. 5-6.