When the schismatics completely mastered the craft of copper casting, a new era began in the mass production of objects from various similar materials. Various enterprises were created that manufactured church items from copper and its alloy - brass. In the XVIII-XIX centuries, a huge number of icons, icon cases and body crosses were created.
Unusual cross
Not every person in the modern world knows what the Kyoto cross is and for what purposes it was intended by the Old Believers. Well, we’ll 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, it differed from the usual underwear in size and had a slightly unconventional shape.
The name of this church accessory comes from the ancient word "Kyoto". A kyoto is such a small box, sometimes it can be a chest of small sizes, in which various icons are stored. In the old days, icon cases were made of bronze or copper, for beauty and safety they were covered with enamels.
Kyoto Crosses: History
Such crosses appeared in antiquity, when it was customary to overshadow the gates with them. And it could be both home and city. However, they had many other different uses in different places. For example, kyoto crosses served as signs in holy places or on roads. They were cut into a tree, so they were always in iconic places. They were also often cut into
wooden crosses on graves. Due to their versatility, kyoto crosses were very revered among the population of that time, they were in the house of almost every family.
Such crosses in most cases have an eight-pointed shape and four overlappings (two straight, two oblique). Very often, these church attributes were enameled, but in some cases they could be covered with patina.
Patina is a layer of metal oxide that has protective properties. It is also worth noting that the patina on copper and its alloys can form on its own, but several decades must pass for this. With the help of active chemicals, craftsmen of the time covered the crucifixion of the Cross of Christ with this layer for several days.
The Old Believers did a tremendous job, and the products of that time turned out to be incredibly beautiful. Many contemporaries still cannot understand how they could display all the details so filigree, using fairly primitive tools of the time.
Separately, the quality of the enamel pattern, which was quite complex, is noted. There are facts when up to 6 different coatings were used on one cross. For applying enamels, a hot method was used.
Quite often, kyoto crosses of the 18th century had a frame of additional images: Magdalen, Virgin Mary, The Theologian. Such crosses demonstrated all the grace of the Church.
It is worth noting that not only Old Believers used this kind of products, a large number of Orthodox people appreciated this kind of work. Christians were careful about icons and crosses.
Product Images
Often, the masters tried not to repeat much, and the plots were quite diverse. For example, at one time they could issue kyoto crosses “The Crucifixion of Christ with the upcoming saints”, and after a while they were made with a completely different plot.
Another interesting feature of the drawing is the lines. The plot itself could be the same, some of the most successful models have been made for centuries, without changing the meaning of the image, but there were different lines. Newer products were made with straight lines, a lot of attention was paid to various details. If the drawing is simple and rude, then we can say with confidence that this is an older product.
Kyoto crosses were very popular among the population, so a lot of them were made. The largest mednitsa per year could produce more than 100,000 products. They were also smelted in small workshops. Such products were not only sold in churches; they could also be purchased at fairs.
Varieties of crosses
For a better understanding of how the Kyoto cross differs from the rest, it is necessary to understand what kind of crosses are generally and for what purposes they are used. All crosses can be divided into 3 main groups:
- Wearable. Such products have the smallest sizes. Often they do not have more than 8 cm in height. They are equipped with a small eyelet and are designed to be worn only on the body.
- Metal pectoral. These are large items that are also used to be worn on the chest. They are very similar to kyoto, but their main difference is the hole for hanging. In most cases, it is located on top (as in underwear), but sometimes it can be behind the product.
- Kyoto crosses. Such products were also made massive and heavy. Basically, they were placed among people among the icons. They could also be embedded in stavroteki. It is worth noting that kyoto crosses were held in high esteem by the Old Believers, as a rule, they were placed in the most honorable place of the house.
The appearance of the cross
Depending on the appearance of the product, a lot can be said about it, for example, where it was made. In the north of the country, the art of making such crosses went very far, and often created objects had very unusual shapes.
Also, where the cross was made, can be determined by its reverse side. Various inscriptions and patterns were usually made there. Moreover, the signature of the master and his brand should always be.
Often on the iconic crosses of the “Crucifixion of Christ” traces of its purification are visible. The thing is that they were greatly esteemed by the Old Believers, and they constantly cleaned 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 did the crosses cover?
Such church products have been produced for many centuries, they were created from different types of metals. However, those that were made from materials such as bronze and copper were considered the most valuable. Such items were covered with patina and enamel, the most valuable were those that were coated with gold. At the moment, these items are very in demand among collectors.
Product price
The price directly depends on when the kyoto cross was made 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 its size and safety.
Some kyoto crosses have rather complicated fates, as well as some of their owners. For example, when the Communists came to power, they robbed and dispossessed 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
The Kyoto Cross is a special type of church attributes that was held in high esteem by all Old Believers. They were mainly made of bronze and its alloys, covered with patina, enamel and gold. Today, such products are quite expensive and rare. They can only be found in antique shops and collectors.