ANTIQUE RUSSIAN OLD BELIEVERS ICON CROSS JESUS BRONZE ENAMEL 18TH C

Description: GJPaw Auctions is pleased to offer an antique Russian bronze and enamel Icon, depicting the Crucifixion of Jesus. Imagine if your Priest, Rabbi, or Imam suddenly said, “We’re going to change the way we do things. From now on, forget about everything we did before.” What would you do? In 17th century Russia, Christians were faced with this dilemma, and a select group of them chose to ignore the church’s new practices. They stubbornly clung to the “old ways,” and for doing so they were persecuted, exiled, and even put to death by religious and political leaders acting in unison. They became known as the Old Believers, Eastern Orthodox Christians who maintain the liturgical and ritual practices of the Eastern Orthodox Church as they existed prior to the reforms of Patriarch Nikon of Moscow between 1652 and 1666. Resisting the accommodation of Russian piety to the contemporary forms of Greek Orthodox worship, these Christians were anathematized, together with their ritual, in a Synod of 1666–1667, producing a division in Eastern Europe between the Old Believers and those who followed the state church in its condemnation of the Old Rite. It was not until 1971, when the Moscow Patriarchate revoked the anathemas imposed on the Old Believers in the 17th century. By the time this icon was created the harassment of the Old Believers went far beyond the people and their practices. It extended all the way to art; specifically, bronze icons the government conveniently banned and then confiscated so they could use the metal to make arms and coins. Yet, this one survived; its features worn down through centuries of worship by believers who placed greater trust in faith than in the words and deeds of their leaders. It measures 4.25 inches in width, by 2.5 inches in depth, by 8.5 by inches in height (10.7 cm by 6.35 cm by 21.5 cm.) It comes with a hand-made, iron, custom display stand. The condition is commensurate with age, dating to the late 18th century. A superb example of a very distinctive style of Russian art, it would make a fine collector’s piece and is guaranteed authentic. GJPaw Auctions has been in the Art business for over 25 years and is now expanding its operation to eBay. Our goal is to bring the same experience and excitement of collecting that we have been delivering in-person to collectors across the globe at Primitive in Chicago. Every object we sell online has been carefully hand-selected with special attention to detail, quality, and significance. We ship worldwide. Add GJPaw to Sellers you Follow and please take a moment to look at our other auction items. A1800-113

Price: 4950 USD

Location: Chicago, Illinois

End Time: 2024-11-12T22:20:59.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD