When the schismatics fully mastered the craft of copper casting, a new era of mass production of objects from various similar materials began. Various enterprises were created that made church items from copper and its alloy - brass. In the XVIII-XIX centuries, a huge number of icons, kiot and pectoral crosses were created.
Fancy cross
Not every person in the modern world knows what a kiot cross is and for what purposes it was intended by the Old Believers. Well, let's try to lift the veil of secrecy over this issue. This church accessory was not suitable for wearing on the body, its meaning was different. Moreover, it differed from the usual underwear in size and had a slightly unconventional shape.
The name of this church accessory comes from the ancient word "kiot". An icon case is such a small box, sometimes it can be a small chest, in which various icons are stored. In the old days, icon cases were made of bronze or copper, covered with enamels for beauty and safety.
Kyoto crosses: history
Such crosses appeared in antiquity, when it was customary to overshadow themgates. Moreover, it could be both domestic and urban. However, they also had many other different uses in different places. For example, icon-case crosses served as signs in holy places or on roads. They were cut into a tree, so they were always in iconic places. They were also often carved into wooden crosses on graves. Due to their versatility, kiot crosses were highly revered among the population of that time, they were in the home of almost every family.
Such crosses in most cases have an eight-pointed shape and four overlaps (two straight, two oblique). Very often, these church attributes were covered with enamels, but in some cases they could also be covered with patina.
Patina is a layer of metal oxide that has protective properties. It is also worth noting that the patina on copper and its alloys can form on its own, but this takes several decades. With the help of active chemicals, the craftsmen of that time covered the icon-case crosses "The Crucifixion of Christ" with this layer in a few days.
The Old Believers did a tremendous job, and the products of that time turned out to be incredibly beautiful. Many contemporaries still cannot understand how they could display all the details so delicately, using rather primitive tools of that time.
The quality of the enamel drawing, which was quite complex, is noted separately. There are known facts when up to 6 different coatings were used on one cross. Hot enamel was used to applyway.
Quite often 18th century icon-case crosses were framed with additional images: Magdalena, Virgin Mary, Theologian. Such crosses demonstrated all the grace of the Church.
It is worth noting that not only the Old Believers used this kind of product, a large number of Orthodox people appreciated this kind of work. Christians treated icons and crosses with care.
Images on products
Often, the masters tried not to repeat themselves much, and the plots were quite diverse. For example, at one time they could produce icon-case crosses “The Crucifixion of Christ with the upcoming saints”, and after a while they were made with a completely different plot.
Another interesting feature of the pattern is the lines. The plot itself could be the same, some of the most successful models were made for centuries without changing the meaning of the image, but there were different lines. Newer pieces were made with clean lines and a lot of attention was paid to various details. If the drawing is simple and rough, then we can say with confidence that this is an older product.
Kiot crosses were very popular among the population, so a lot of them were made. The largest coppersmiths could produce more than 100,000 products per year. They were also smelted in small workshops. Such products were on sale not only in churches, they could also be purchased at fairs.
Varieties of crosses
For a better understanding of how the kiot cross differs from the rest, you need to figure out whichIn general, there are varieties of crosses and for what purposes they are used. All crosses can be divided into 3 main groups:
- Wearable. These products are the smallest. Often they do not have more than 8 cm in height. They are equipped with a small lug and are designed to be worn on the body only.
- Metal pectorals. These are large products that are also used to wear on the chest. They are very similar to icon cases, but their main difference is the hanging hole. In most cases, it is on top (as in underwear), but sometimes it can also be behind the product.
- Kyoto crosses. Such products were also made massive and heavy. Basically, they were placed among the people among the icons. They could also be embedded in staurotheca. It is worth noting that the kiot crosses were held in high esteem by the Old Believers, as a rule, they were placed in the most honorable place at home.
Appearance of the cross
Depending on the appearance of the product, quite a lot can be said about it, for example, where it was made. In the north of the country, the art of making such crosses has gone very far, and often the objects created have very unusual shapes.
Also, where the cross was made can be determined from its reverse side. They usually made various inscriptions and patterns. Moreover, there should always be the signature of the master and his brand.
Traces of its cleaning are often visible on the icon-case crosses of the "Crucifixion of Christ". The thing is that they were very revered by the Old Believers, and theythey were constantly cleaned, thus taking care of the product. Sometimes you can find traces of a rather rough cleaning of the cross - this means that its owners were not very worried about its safety and treated it carelessly.
What were the crosses covered with?
Produced such church products for many centuries, they were created from different types of metals. However, the most valuable were those that were made from materials such as bronze and copper. Such products were covered with patina and enamel, those that were covered with gold were considered the most valuable. These items are currently in high demand among collectors.
Product price
The price directly depends on when the kiot cross was made and how it looks at the moment. However, there are many other factors as well. The most expensive are these church attributes, which were covered with several layers of enamel. It is also worth noting that the price may increase if a particular cross has its own history. An important factor in pricing is also its size and safety.
Some kiot crosses have rather difficult fates, like some of their owners. For example, when the communists came to power, they robbed and dispossessed we althy citizens. Moreover, that government did not recognize the church, many copies of the crosses were simply destroyed or sold, their fate remained unknown.
Conclusion
Kiot cross is a special type of church attributes,who was held in high esteem by all the Old Believers. Basically, they were made of bronze and its alloys, covered with patina, enamel and gold. Today, such products are quite expensive and rare. They can only be found in antique shops and collectors.
