Russian Bronze Cross Pendant

Broad dark cross with a heavy brow and a tapering foot.

This cross pendant from Novgorod is from Novgorod, Russia, and dates to the late 17th or early 18th century. It is bronze. Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin that casts well in fine detail, which made it a common choice for small devotional objects. Flat pendant cross with a thick frame and a smaller cross cast inside it. Small squared panels sit at the ends of the arms, and the lower shaft narrows in a plain lined base. The color is a deep, uneven brown-black. It is 1.25 inches long and 1.75 high.

Bold in outline and weathered with grace.