Hand Cross
unknown
Basic information
Additionally
- Type
- decorative and applied arts ritual items
- Genre
- religious
- Provenance
- Lviv region
Information about author
Object description
The hand cross belongs to the typological subgroup of liturgical crosses intended for worship. It appeared in the Eastern Rite in the 15th century. The cross is seven-pointed (the end of the upper frame is missing) and made using the technique of contour, notched and flat relief carving, which allows the carved elements to rise above the background rather than cut into it, creating the impression of volume and relief. On the front of the hand cross is the crucifix, which occupies the central cross and most of the stem. The sketched figure of the Saviour, with defined contours and small details, is crouched and disproportionate. The crucifix is executed in imitation of Byzantine iconography. At the ends of the central frame are two waist-length figures with the above details. A smooth line separates the upper and lower crosses from the main composition. The central plane of the lower frame is filled with a flat carved geometric pattern, letters and vertical lines. In the central part of the back of the cross is a full-length carved figure of the Virgin Mary wearing a crown and holding the infant Jesus. In circles at the ends of the central frame are flat-carved, waist-length figures with an outline. The back of the lower frame is separated from the rest of the composition by a narrow line. A smooth stripe runs along the outline of the handmade cross on the front and back, repeating the shape of the edges.
Legal regulation
Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery
