16th - 17th century

Cross and Case

Hand-held crosses were used by priests to bless the congregation during the Christian liturgy of the mass. This example is minutely carved and pierced on both sides. The Crucifixion—with the identifying Greek inscription “HΣTAYPΩΣIΣ” (Crucifixion) inscribed above—features a dense crowd behind the suspended Christ, while the Virgin Mary and Saint John flank the cross. In arched compartments to the left and right of Christ, an unidentified emperor and empress witness the scene. Each royal figure is dressed in a loros(a ceremonial piece of the costume of the Byzantine imperial family) and grasps a large processional cross, perhaps alluding to Constantine the Great and his mother Helena, who purportedly discovered the True Cross. The Baptism of Christ bears the Greek inscription "Η ΒΑΠΤΙΣΙΣ Τ[ΟΥ] Κ[ΥΡΙΟΥ]" (The Baptism of the Lord). Two angels occupy the arms of the cross, while the top and bottom spaces feature two Evangelists. Two acrostics are inscribed on the sides of the cross: “ΑΠΜΣ” (The Cross is the beginning of the sacrament of faith) and “ΤΚΠΓ” (The place of the skull has become Paradise).