What is the kiot cross

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

Unusual cross

Not every person in the modern world knows what is 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 comes from the ancient word "kiot". Kyoto is such a small box, at times can be a chest, small in size, which stores various icons. In the old days, the cuots were made of bronze or copper, covered with enamels for beauty and safety.

Kyoto crosses: history

Such crosses appeared in ancient times, when it was decided to shade the gate. 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 cut into a tree, so they were always in a landmark. Also they were often cut into wooden crosses on graves. Thanks to their multifunctionality, the kiot 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 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 has protective properties. It should also be noted that the 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 "Christ's Crucifixion" covered this layer in a few days.

The Old Believers did a tremendous job, and the 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.

Separately, the quality of the enamel pattern is noted, which was quite complicated. There are facts 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 product, but a large number of Orthodox people appreciated this kind of work. Christians took care of icons and crosses.

Images on products

Often, the masters tried not to repeat themselves much, and the stories were quite diverse. For example, at one time they could produce the kiot 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.

Kyoto crosses enjoyed great popularity among the population, so they were made very much. The largest mednitsy a year could produce more than 100 000 items. 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 of the difference between the kyotny cross and 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 eyelet and are intended only for wearing on the body.
2. Metal pectoral. These are large items that are also used for carrying on the chest. They are very similar to the kyotnye, but their main difference is the hole for hanging. In most cases, it is on top (as in the native), but sometimes it can be behind the product.
3. Kyoto crosses. Such products were also made massive and heavy. Mostly they were placed among people among the icons. They could also be pierced into the staurotecs. It is worth noting that the kiotnye crosses were in high esteem among 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, you can say a lot about it, for example, where it was manufactured. 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, you can determine on the back side of it. There they usually made various inscriptions and patterns. Moreover, there must always be a signature of the master and his stamp.

Often, on the crucifixes of the "Crucifixion of Christ", traces of his cleansing are visible. The thing is that they were very venerated by the Old Believers, and they constantly cleaned them, so they took care of the product. Sometimes you can find traces and a fairly rough cleansing of the cross - this means that its owners are not much worried about its safety and carelessly treated it.

What did the crosses cover?

They produced such church products for many centuries, they were created from different types of metals. However, the most valuable were those that were made of materials such as bronze and copper. Covered with such products patina and enamel, the most valuable were those that were covered with gold. At the moment, these items are very in demand among collectors.

Price of the product

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

Some kiotnye crosses have rather difficult fates, as well as some of their owners. For example, when the Communists came to power, they ripped off and dekulakized wealthy citizens. Moreover, that government did not recognize the church, many copies of the crosses were simply destroyed or sold, their fate remained unknown.

Conclusion

The Kyoto cross is a special kind of church attributes, which was respected by all the Old Believers. Basically, they were made of bronze and its alloys, covered with patina, enamel and gold. To date, such products are quite expensive and rare. They can be found only in antique shops and collectors.