Ukrainian / Cossack Era Bronze Pectoral Cross with \"Save and Protect\" Prayer COA For Sale

Ukrainian / Cossack Era Bronze Pectoral Cross with \"Save and Protect\" Prayer (c. 17th–18th C. AD) - 44mm

Authenticity NoticeThis artifact is certified authentic and will be accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity and Provenance. All professional inventory is vetted through recognized platforms to ensure legal standing.

DetailsObject: Cast Bronze Devotional Pectoral Cross PendantCulture: Ukrainian Baroque / Cossack Hetmanate Era (Eastern Orthodox)Date: Circa 1650–1750 AD (17th–18th Century)Material: Cast Bronze / Copper-Alloy (with authentic light olive-green and earthen patina)Form: Trefoil / petal-ended pectoral cross with integrated suspension loop, relief Crucifixion on obverse, and full Cyrillic devotional prayer on reverseDimensions: 44 mm height (including loop)Region: Dnieper Ukraine / Kyivan Rus\' Traditional Sphere

Inscription & Prayer TranslationThe reverse face features a complete Church Slavonic / Old Cyrillic protective prayer cast in raised block lettering across the arms:

• Horizontal Cross Bar: ГОСПОДИ (Gospodi — \"Lord\")

• Lower Vertical Leaf: СПАСИ И СОХРАНИ (Spasi i Sokhrani — \"Save and Protect\")

• Complete Reverse Prayer: \"ГОСПОДИ, СПАСИ И СОХРАНИ\" (\"Lord, Save and Protect\")

• Obverse Christogram: ІС ХС (Jesus Christ) flanking the arms, with the Skull of Adam (Golgotha) cast below the footrest.

Iconographic & Typological AnalysisThis 44 mm bronze cross is a classic example of Ukrainian Orthodox devotional metalwork from the Cossack Baroque period:

• Petal-Ended / Trefoil Geometry: The cross features expanded, teardrop-shaped terminals (lepestkovyy cross style) symbolic of the Holy Trinity and spiritual blossoming.

• Obverse Crucifixion Scene: Cast with the image of the crucified Christ (Crucifixus) beneath the Holy Face icon (Acheiropoieta) at the upper finial, anchored at the base by the skull of Adam in the cave of Golgotha.

• Protective Reverse Inscription: The protective invocation \"Lord, Save and Protect\" served as a personal prayer for spiritual and physical safeguarding, worn daily against the chest by soldiers, Cossacks, and pilgrims.

Overview and Historical ContextDuring the 17th and 18th centuries in Ukraine, regional foundry workshops produced cast bronze pectoral crosses for personal wear. Popularized during the Cossack Hetmanate, these durable bronze crosses combined traditional Byzantine iconography with Western European Baroque stylistic influences. The invocation \"Gospodi, Spasi i Sokhrani\" remains one of the most enduring protective prayers in Eastern Christian tradition.

Authenticity CheckDisplays an untouched archaeological surface with an authentic light-olive to chocolate bronze patina and light earthen deposits in the recessed letter channels.Natural wear around the inner aperture of the cast suspension loop consistent with long-term wear on a cord or chain.Solid single-piece casting preserving crisp, legible Slavonic lettering across the reverse face.

Museum Comparable Examples

• National Museum of the History of Ukraine, Kyiv: Collection of Cossack-era bronze pectoral crosses (Inv. NMHU-3412/Crosses).

• The National Sanctuary \"Sophia of Kyiv\": Inventory SK-1184 (17th–18th century Ukrainian Orthodox bronze body crosses with Slavonic prayers).

• The British Museum, London: Accession No. 1981,1202.1 (Eastern Orthodox cast bronze pectoral cross with reverse prayer inscriptions).

Academic & Typological References

• Gnucheva, A. (2003). Ukrainian Devotional Crosses of the 16th–18th Centuries. Kyiv Historical Press. (Ref: Type III, \"Petal-Ended Cossack Pectoral Crosses\").

• Kutsenkov, P. (2010). Orthodox Copper Castings: Pectoral Crosses and Icons. Russian Academy of Arts. (Ref: \"Reverse Inscriptions and the \'Save and Protect\' Formula\").

ConditionVery fine archaeological condition. Complete, solid, and structurally sound at 44 mm, with a fully intact suspension loop, crisp reverse prayer lettering, and a beautiful natural patina.

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