ANCIENT COPPER-CAST CROSSES

"The cross is small, but the strength is great" - recorded in the annals of the 12th century. Body cross from the ancient times is given to every Christian in the sacrament of Baptism by Russian Orthodox Church. The crosses are worn around the neck with the lace or with the chain and worn under clothing on the body. Most are made of copper and copper alloys, less of them are made of silver and are differs by small size and a huge variety of forms (stavrografii).

ANCIENT COPPER-CAST ICONS

Monuments of copper casting - crosses, icons and folding are the most numerous and still byway group of Russian Christian antiquities that reflect ancient history of Christianity in Russia. Their specific features: durability, small size, beauty, and relative cheapness - contributed to their wide distribution as objects of personal piety in all layers of the Russian population. They were in demand all over the vast territory of Russia.

ANCIENT COPPER-CAST SKLADENS

Copper folds are distinguished by skillful work, masterful drawing of images, as well as a rich history.  Since ancient times, on the territory of Russia, voluminous folds or polyptychs - folding multi-leaf portable altars. Skladen - is one of the types of copper icons, which consists of 2-4 sections (shutter) and made with using embossing, filigree, enamel.

ANCIENT COPPER-CAST CRUCIFIXIONS

Special and extensive section of ancient Russian copper-cast plastic art - crucifixions and altar crosses. Unlike pectoral crosses, they were made in a very wide iconographic spectrum. This type of copper casting has an ancient, still "pre-Mongolian" origin, but its renaissance began in Russia at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries. The production of crucifixions was mainly carried out by the Old Believers - the bearers of the true Orthodox faith. Numerous variants of crucifixions represent the most interesting section of copper-cast religious sculpture.