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Comments
What a beautiful refined piece, I like the contract between the delicate fillegrain decoration broche(?) against the knitted(?) chain. And of course the elaborate cross with its dark red beads and the tassles,it gives a midieval impression. Very very unique for me. Is this also a midden European jewel?
Gr. Ingrid.
I have been looking through my books on Bulgarian and Albanian costume and jewelry and have come to the conclusion that these pieces are falling within these regions. The tassels on the ends of this are very similar to the ends of belts and other pieces I have seen from Western Bulgaria as well the type of granulation and the additional filigree with pointed sword like protrusions is a stylistic trend in that area. There is some kind of bone inside the glass so this is a relic of a saint. These were very often made up for pilgrims after visiting certain churches. The style of this work to me look 18th c or early 19th .
It is truly a magnificient piece. Thank you for sharing it. I believe that this kind of reliquiary crosses were called encolpions and were very common, since Medieaval times, especially in the areas under Bizantium control, Western Ukraine, Eastern Poland, Russia and the Balkans, where they were still in use in the beginning of the 20th century. They are mostly connected to the Orthodox religion. The one very similar I saw before had a beautifully carved wooden cross inside and came from Elbasan in Albania, from an Orthodox family. Is it possible to open this encolpion?