Византийский крест из национального исторического музея в Софии

Abstract

In the article is present a large fragment from processional cross, that was bought from the National Historical Museum - Sofia. In the center of the corpus, the cross is decorated by two cruciform medallions. On this medallions are present in relief the bust images of Christ Pantocrator and Holly Virgin Orance with engraving ornamental decoration. Exactly analogies, the cross from Sofia have with the cross of Leo Boreas (10 c), a fragment with Crucifixion of Christ from Princeton museum (10 c.) and cross with Deisis and saints from Kanelopulos museum (11 c.). All this crosses were made in the Byzantine capitol. The cross from National Museum in Sofia can be dated in the end of 10-11 с. Not enough facts for the Constantinoples provenance of the cross from Sofia nevertheless that the stile analysis of the relief images and ornamental decoration support such possibility.