Pectoral cross, 18th century

Bronze casting

Height × width: 8.5 × 5.5 cm Weight: 24.2 g.

The artifact, decorated on both sides, features a complex iconography, albeit severely compromised. On the recto, at the center, the Crucifixion is depicted, surmounted in the upper section by the Old Testament representation of the Trinity (the Hospitality of Abraham). In the lower part, a figure is visible in the act of striking down a malevolent entity, most likely Saint Nikita. The figures positioned at the ends of the cross arms are not identifiable due to the advanced state of deterioration. The surface of the object appears deeply corroded on both sides, rendering the sculptural details and the figures on the verso illegible. This loss of definition can be attributed both to prolonged devotional use and to the frequent and vigorous cleaning to which Old Believers subjected such objects: their aversion to the dark oxidation of the metal led the faithful to polish the cross constantly using abrasive methods, ultimately resulting in the progressive obliteration of the original reliefs and engravings.