Hand Cross

The design of the handmade cross is eight-pointed, with an elongated central crosspiece and an inclined lower crosspiece. Its compositional solution is simple and laconic. Iconographic scenes in rounded relief occupy the central part of the main crossbeam on both sides. On the front, there is a carved relief of the Crucified Christ. Christ is depicted as dead, with his eyes closed, his arms outstretched with closed palms, his head tilted to his right shoulder, and his legs bent at the knees. The crucifixion follows the Byzantine tradition of Jesus being nailed to the cross with four nails. The master's depiction of Christ's body is anatomically accurate: tensed, muscular arms and legs, protruding chest, and sunken abdomen. A loincloth adds to the decorative effect. The face, elaborately carved, shows an expression of slight sadness. Above Christ's head is the title with the traditional inscription "INRI". On the back of the hand cross, in the central part, is a textured relief of the Virgin Mary on a pedestal. The background of the back of the cross is decorated with floral ornaments with shallow slits. A clear, smooth line runs along the contour, repeating the frame's outline, and is framed by a geometric triangular pattern on the inside.

Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery