Byzantine Bronze Enkolpion Reliquary Cross with Crucified Christ and Mary Orans

£325.00

A fine Byzantine bronze reliquary cross, known as an enkolpion, featuring a hinged base and a suspension loop at the top for wear. The cross is formed of two halves, decorated with images typical of Christian iconography. The arms of the cross flare out slightly. One side depicts a crucified Christ, with his arms outstretched along the cross and a halo encircling his head. He wears a collobium, a sleeveless or short-sleeved garment, an iconographic type established in the early Christian centuries. Above his head sits a tablet with four circular protrusions. The other side displays the image of the Virgin Mary in the orant prayer pose. She has her arms raised upwards, a long robe draped around her body, and a halo encircling her head. The reverse of both sides are plain and unworked. The enkolpion is able to be opened into two halves.

Date: Circa 10th - 12th Century AD
Provenance: From the H.A. Collection, France
Condition: Fine condition. A beautiful dark green patina and encrustations to the surface. The edges of both halves of the cross have been chipped. The pin through the top hinge is damaged and missing from the bottom hinge, allow the piece to be opened into two halves.

SOLD

Enkolpia were small pendants worn around the neck, with examples found dating back to Late Antiquity. The cross shape was the most popular symbol for such amulets, as a symbol of Christianity, believed to have apotropaic qualities. Many enkolpia were designed to hold reliquaries, as can be seen here by the opening function of the pendant. The reliquary was believed to work in tandem with the talismanic qualities of the cross-shape to protect the wearer from harm and evil. The popularity of these reliquary enkolpia suggests that not all held primary relics such as a piece of the True Cross or a bone of a Saint, but likely held secondary relics, for example earth from a holy site, locks of hair, or cloth touched by a saint. They were made in an assortment of materials, from gold and silver, to bronze and lead. Worn as a talisman and a symbol of the owner’s faith, such pieces were very popular in Byzantium, providing an intimate look at the material culture of piety in the Byzantine Empire.

To discover more about Byzantine art, please visit our relevant blog post: The Byzantine Empire, Art and Christianity. 

Weight 31.6 g
Dimensions L 6 x W 2.5 cm
Culture

Region

Metal

Christian Ideology

Reference: For a similar item, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, item 61.1092a-b

You may also like…