Set of three pectoral crosses. Byzantine art, 6th–10th centuries.

Set of three pectoral crosses. Byzantine art, 6th–10th centuries.
Cast bronze, chiseled and incised; one of them with cabochon inlays.
Provenance: former Peter Brandes Collection (Denmark).
Measurements: 11.5 x 7 cm; 11.5 x 5 cm; 8 x 4 cm.

An interesting set of three bronze pectoral crosses associated with private devotion and the protective role these objects played in the Byzantine world between Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Their small size allowed them to be worn suspended from the body, making them direct evidence of everyday religiosity and the widespread use of the symbol of the cross in the eastern Mediterranean.

The pieces display different typological and decorative features. Two of them have widened arms and incised ornamentation of a geometric and figurative nature; the central piece also retains articulation elements reminiscent of Byzantine enkolpia or reliquary crosses. The third piece is distinguished by the application of cabochons on the arms and the crossbar, a technique that adds relief and chromatic richness to the metal’s surface.

The variety of the set allows one to appreciate the different techniques employed by Byzantine bronze workshops in objects intended both for the expression of faith and for personal protection. Its provenance from the Peter Brandes Collection particularly enhances the lot’s appeal within the field of sacred art collecting. Comparable pectoral crosses and reliquaries are part of leading collections such as those of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the British Museum in London.