What is the kiot cross

When the craft of casting from copper completely masteredschismatics, a new era of mass production of items from various similar materials began. Various enterprises were created, which made church objects from copper and its alloy - brass. In the XVIII-XIX centuries, a huge number of icons, kiotnyh and crosses were created.

kiot cross

Unusual cross

Not every person in the modern worldknows what the kyotny cross and for what purposes it was intended for the Old Believers. Well, let's try to open the veil of secrecy over this issue. This church accessory was not suitable for wearing on the body, its meaning was different. Moreover, from the usual native it differed in size and had a slightly unconventional shape.

The name of this church accessory happenedfrom the ancient word "kiot". The kyot is such a small box, at times can be a chest, small in size, in which various icons are stored. In the old days, the cuots were made of bronze or copper, covered with enamels for beauty and safety.

Kyoto crosses: history

crucified crucifixion
Such crosses appeared in ancient times, whenit was decided to overshadow the gates. And it could be both domestic and urban. However, they had many other applications in different places. For example, kiotnye crosses served as signs in holy places or on roads. They were pierced into a tree, so they were always in a landmark place. Also they were often cut into wooden crosses on graves. Due to their multifunctionality, the kiot crosses were very revered among the population of that time, they were in the home of almost every family.

Such crosses in most cases haveeight-pointed form and four overlaps (two straight, two oblique). Very often these church attributes were covered with enamels, but in some cases they could be covered with patina.

Patina - a layer of metal oxide, which hasprotective properties. It is also worth noting that patina on copper and its alloys can be formed independently, but for this several tens of years must pass. With the help of active chemicals craftsmen of that time the kiotnye crosses "The Crucifixion of Christ" covered this layer in a few days.

cross kiotny crucifix hristovo

The Old Believers did a tremendous job, andthe products of that time turned out to be incredibly beautiful. Many contemporaries still can not understand how they could display all the details so filigree, using rather primitive tools of that time.

The quality of the enamel pattern is separately noted,which was quite complicated. Facts are known when up to 6 different coatings were used on one cross. For the application of enamels, a hot method was used.

Quite often kiotnye crosses of the 18th century were framed from additional images: the Magdalena, the Virgin Mary, the Theologian. Such crosses showed all the grace of the Church.

It should be noted that not only Old Believers used this kind of products, but a large number of Orthodox people appreciated this kind of work. Christians cared for icons and crosses.

Images on products

Often, the masters tried not to repeat themselves,and the stories were quite diverse. For example, at one time they could produce the kyotnye crosses "The Crucifixion of Christ with the impending saints", and after a while they were already made with a completely different story.

Another interesting feature of the drawing is the lines.The plot itself could be the same, some of the most successful models were made for centuries, without changing the meaning of the image, but there were different lines. Newer products were made with straight lines, attention was paid to various details. If the pattern is simple and rude, then we can say with confidence that this is an older product.

the 18th century kiot cross

Kyotnye crosses were very popularin the population, so they were made very much. The largest mednitsa could produce more than 100,000 items a year. They also smelted in small workshops. Such products were on sale not only in churches, they could be purchased at fairs.

Varieties of crosses

For a better understanding, what is the difference between kiotnycross from the rest, it is necessary to understand what kind of crosses there are in general and for what purposes they are used. All crosses can be divided into 3 main groups:

  1. Native. Such products are of the smallest size. Often they do not have more than 8 cm in height. They are equipped with a small ear and are designed only for wearing on the body.
  2. Metal pectoral.These are large items that are also used for wearing on the chest. They are very similar to kiotnye, but their main difference - the hole for hanging. In most cases, it is on top (as in the body), but sometimes it can be on the back of the product.
  3. Kyoto crosses.Such products were also made massive and heavy. Mostly they were placed among the people among the icons. They could also be bumped into stavroteki. It is worth noting that the ivory crosses were in great honor among the Old Believers, as a rule, they were placed in the most honorable place of the house.

The appearance of the cross

cross crucifixion crucifixion with upcoming
Depending on the appearance of the product you cansay about him a lot, for example, where it was made. In the north of the country, the art of making such crosses has gone very far, and often the created objects had very unusual forms.

Also, where the cross was made, can be determined by its reverse side. They usually made various inscriptions and patterns. Moreover, there must always be a signature of the master and his stamp.

Often on the cross of the crucifixionvisible traces of his cleansing. The thing is that they were very much honored by the Old Believers, and they were constantly cleaning them, thus taking care of the product. Sometimes you can find traces and a rather rough cleaning of the cross - this means that its owners were not very worried about its safety and were careless about it.

What covered the crosses?

Made such church products throughoutmany centuries, they were created from different types of metals. However, the most valuable were those that were made from materials such as bronze and copper. Such products were covered with patina and enamel, the most valuable were those that were covered with gold. At the moment, these items are very popular among collectors.

Product price

Price depends on whenmade a cross of the cross and how it looks at the moment. However, there are many other factors. The most expensive are these church attributes, which were covered with several layers of enamel. It is also worth noting that the price may increase if a particular cross has its own history. An important factor in pricing is also its size and safety.

kyotny cross he looks like

Some kiotnykh crosses are quite complexfate, like some of their owners. For example, when the communists came to power, they robbed and dekulakized wealthy citizens, Moreover, that power did not recognize the church, many copies of the crosses were simply destroyed or sold, their further fate remained unknown.

Conclusion

Киотный крест – это особенный вид церковных attributes, which was held in high esteem by all the Old Believers. Basically they were made of bronze and its alloys, covered with patina, enamel and gold. Today such products are quite expensive and rare. They can be found only in antique shops and collectors.

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