Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Hand Cross
(Byzantium and Early Russia)
Hand crosses like this one are used by priests to bless the faithful. This boxwood carving, set in a lavishly decorated enamel frame, shows God the Father (top), the Three Angels visiting Abraham (center), Christ's Ascension (below), the Annunciation (left), and Christ's Baptism (right). The back of the cross is entirely covered with enamel ornament. The use of delicate patterns against a snow-white background identifies this frame as a work from Velikii Ustiug, a town in northern Russia that was a major center of enamel manufacture.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Leon Grinberg ("A la Vieille Russie"), New York, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1951, by purchase.
Exhibitions
| 1996-1997 | Russian Enamels. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
| 1988-1989 | A Millennium of Christianity: Russian Art from The Walters Art Gallery. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
| 1962 | The Arts of Man. Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas. |
| 1959-1960 | Russian Art: Icons and Decorative Arts from the Origin to the Twentieth Century. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 9/21/1965 | Examination | examined for exhibition |
| 12/1/1966 | Treatment | cleaned; repaired |
Geographies
Russia, Velikii Ustiug (Place of Origin)
Measurements
6 7/8 x 3 9/16 x 9/16 in. (17.5 x 9 x 1.5 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase, 1951
Location in Museum
Centre Street: Third Floor: Byzantine, Russian, and Ethiopian Icons
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
44.623