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Cast Icons
Cast Icons
Cast Icons appeared in ancient Russia around 10th century. Initially, their iconographic subjects duplicated Byzantine samples, which were quite numerous in Russia at that time. Most commonly, those icons depicted Jesus Christ and the Holy Virgin. However, as early as in the 12th century, begin to emerge icons with other locally venerated saints, like St. Nicholas, St. Antipa, St. Guri and Aviv, St. Paraskeva and some others. A specific feature of cast icons is the representation of mostly Gospel subjects, and very rarely Biblical ones. Cast icons were worn over the clothing, took them into the voyages, pilgrimages, or war, and used in-house, placing them on walls or locating in the "red corner", same as the wooden sanctities. There even used to be gigantic home iconostasis sets composed purely of cast icons.
Folding Icons
Skladen (Folding Icon) The first skladens got to Russia from Byzantium, simultaneously with copper cast icons and crosses in 10th century. The major types of skladens which existed in Russia are: body skladens, chest and kiot skladens. However, all of those could serve as travel icons, for taking into far trips, war, new place of living and so on. There is evidence of 17th century about the way of wearing of skladens by warriors: “All warriors, with no exception, certainly have a fine icon on their chests, in the form of a three-part skladen, which is never being parted with; he puts it on a visible place and prays to it”. In the 19th century, metallic skladens sometimes fully replaced wooden iconostasis sets. If to compare the volume of skladens, cast icons and crosses, which lived up to modern days, the amount of skladens is far lower than of the other two. One of the possible reasons for that could be the additional complication and labor intensity of skladen production over ones of icons and crosses, as every leaf was cast separately and fixed to the middle part.
Crosses
Cross is the main symbol of Christianity. This is one of the reasons for the variety of existing iconographic types and forms of cast crosses-crucifixions. Some of them are: body crosses, chest crosses, encolpion crosses (reliquaries), kiot crosses and altar crosses. The perfected technique of casting coupled with creative imagination of Russian masters, produced a myriad of amazing works of art and made a contribution to the world treasury of art.
Types of Copper Cast Crosses
A cross is a stairway to heaven,
A vow of life, and death for death,
A daring for God,
A key to the Heavenly Kingdom
St. Andrew of Crete
The Cross is a symbol of Christian faith, it crowns churches, it is on the garments of priests, believers wear it for the whole life, and not a single church sacrament is being performed without a cross. The image of cross is known since 4th century, after the finding of the Saint Cross by Queen Helena.
In the 5th century 4-ended crosses of two main types began to emerge: Greek cross with equal vertical and horizontal crossbars, and Latin cross, with longer vertical bar.
6th century is the time when 8-ended cross becomes widespread; and, it is the cross, later accepted by Orthodox Christian Church of Russia. Cross came to Russia simultaneously with Christian faith, more than 1000 years ago, from Byzantium. Consecrator Dimitriy Rostovsky once wrote “The God created this visible world in the resemblance to the 4-ended cross, because He created it divided into 4 parts – East, West, noon and midnight; and a man is also created similar to 4-ended cross, when he spreads his arms, he looks as a 4-ended cross”.
Crucifixion is the symbol adopted by Church in a memory of a martyr's death of Jesus Christ, crucified on a cross. The image of crucified Savior was depicted by painters and iconographers on all kinds of icons, frescos, paintings and engravings. With the appearance and development of casting techniques of relief images of sacral content, iconographic type of Crucifixion was transferred onto cast crosses. Crosses with depiction of Crucifixion are divided into the following types: body crosses, chest crosses, kiot and encolpion crosses.
Body crosses
In Russia, during the sacrament of baptism, every new Christian was put on a cross. Believers did not part with their crosses during all their lives. In the first centuries after adopting Christianity and during medieval times crosses were worn over clothing, as the clear signs of Christian baptism. Currently, body crosses were being put on to a neck, with the help of a rope or chain, and being worn under clothing. According to the popular belief, a cross had to be made of copper. Most commonly, they were from 2.5 to 5cm (1 to 2 inch) high and had simple iconography.
Chest crosses are worn over clothing by priests, monks, pilgrims. Also, during medieval times, laymen wore chest crosses; and Old Believers practiced wearing crosses over clothing in a much later period. In church life, chest crosses were used as award for clergymen.
Kiot crosses
The title originates from a Greek word, and means a small or medium sized wooden box with a front side made of glass, for location of icons or copper crosses inside of it. Kiot crosses were placed among icons or separately on a wall, or in the 'red corner'; also, addition to these areas, cast icons were also put onto small dedicated shelves or in kiots. They also topped home iconostasis sets, positioned at the door jambs at the entrance to a house; people took them to voyages, trips and pilgrimages, and any other endeavors, as mobile altars.
Kiot crosses differ from body crosses by larger size, they do not have an ear for a rope. Kiot crosses which have additional elements are quite common: six-winged seraphs, miniature square icons with subjects of the feasts, and rectangular vertical panels with figures of selected saints.
Altar crosses are among the necessary belongings of an Orthodox church: they are placed on the altar near the Gospel, repository of Holy Gifts, pyx and etc, and are used during the church service. The differ from chest and kiot crosses by larger size – 30cm and up, and generally do not have additional decorations.
Encolpion crosses
From the Greek egkolpion, "that which is worn on the chest" – is a reliquary for saint relics or, more seldom, for storing ritual food – Communion bread. Initially, encolpion was a small box, a container for the saint relics and had a depiction of the cross on its cover. The boxes of cross-like shape came to Russia from Byzantium.