L.A. Belyaev

Institute of Archaeology RAS, Moscow, Russia

E-mail: labeliaev@bk.ru

Keywords: reliquary cross, iconography, archaeology of the Modern period, Moscow state, decorative art.

A complete reliquary cross found in 2017 was analyzed with physical and chemical methods. The obtained results afforded the grounds for challenging its dating. It was required to verify it using traditional sources. A detailed analysis of the circumstances of finding the object and its comparison with the iconographic and typological background made it possible to confirm the date within range of the second half of the 16th–the late 17th century. In addition, a number of questions were raised for the further development of the iconography of Russian crosses. The study identified a special version of the cross for the 15th–17th centuries, which is characterized by elongated vertical beam and dilations on it for placing additional inscriptions and plots.

DOI: 10.31857/S086960630012631-3