A pectoral cross depicting the Angel of the Grand Council - 18th century

Height × width: 8.5 × 4 cm Weight: 52.3 g.
Bronze casting
it represents a depiction of Jesus Christ before His Incarnation. The objects He holds are essential to understanding the meaning of the image: the rod alludes to divine justice and to the standard by which the world is “measured,” while the mirror — an even rarer and theologically more sophisticated element — serves as a symbol of revelation and divine knowledge, indicating Christ as the perfect image of the Father. On the upper ring, the Mandylion of Edessa is depicted, traditionally regarded as the first icon of Christ, a miraculous image that was not made by human hands. The surface appears worn because metal icons, being subject to oxidation, were regularly polished with cloths and substances such as chalk, sand, ash, or brick powder, as within the context of the Old Believers, tarnish (oxidation or darkening) was considered a sign of corruption.



Item condition grading: **** good.
The icon is in a good state of preservation with the normal wear and defects commensurate with its age and use over time.