Bidspirit auction | BYZANTINE BRONZE ENKOLPION WITH CRUCIFIXION

BYZANTINE BRONZE ENKOLPION WITH CRUCIFIXION AND SAINTS - Ca. AD 900 - 1100.A complete Byzantine bronze reliquary cross, known as enkolpion. It has a hinged top and a barrel-shaped suspension loop at the top. The cross is formed of two halves, decorated with typical Byzantine iconography. On one side, the piece depicts a crucified Christ with arms outstretched and a halo around his head. On the top of the arms, saints are encircled in a frame. On the back, the crucifixion scene shows Christ wearing a collobium (a sleeveless or short-sleeved garment) with two clavi (bands), an iconographic type established in the early Christian centuries. An inscription is carved beneath each outstretched arm. For similar see: MET Museum Accession Number: 2000.526.2.Size: 85mm x 45mm; Weight: 75gProvenance: Private UK collection; previously acquired on the Belgian art market in the 1990s