Silver and silver-gilt blessing crucifix, 1775 - Lot 142

Silver and silver-gilt blessing crucifix, 1775 Silver cross with three-lobed branches at the ends of which are engraved three seraphim in the Kuthaya style and the skull of Golgotha. In relief, the gilded silver Christ with, on the titulus, the letters ՅՆԹՀ.. (equivalent to the Latin I.N.R.I.). On the back a beautiful engraved Armenian inscription, surmounted by an engraved cherub and ending with an elegant stylized flower: ՅԻՇՏԿ Է ՍԲ ԽԱՉՍ ՍԲ Ա[ՍՏՈՒԱ]ԾԱԾԻՆ ՔԱՆԻՍԻ ԷՍՏԱՊՕԼ ԼՈՒՕՂԼՈՒ ԳԻՐԳՈՐ ԿՈՂԱԿԻՍԻՆ ԷՂԻՍԱԲԷԴԻՆ. 1775 (This Holy Cross is in memory of Lou-oghlou Grigor and his wife Eghisabet, at the church of Sainte-Mère-de-Dieu in Constantinople, 1775). Constantinople, 18th century. H: 25 cm. Sourp Asdvadzadzine (Holy Mother of God) is the Armenian Patriarchate church in the Kumkapi district of old Istanbul.