Russian Silver Gilt Cross, 1913

Creator

Preview

Creation Date

1913

Geography

Russia

Culture

Russian Empire

Dimensions

Height: 2 ⅝” Width: 1 ½”

Credit Line

Bequest of David P. Harris ('46), 2020

Accession Number

2020.382

Provenance

Purchased by David P. Harris from Iconastas, London, for $630

Description

This cross, commemorating the tricentenary of the Romanov Dynasty, was awarded in 1913 by Tsar Nicholas II to especially meritorious priests. The obverse is decorated with white, green, and blue enamels and surmounted by the cross-topped crown of Monomakh. The reverse, containing no enamel, shows the Romanov coat of arms and the inscription, “we rule the empire through God.” On the horizontal arms of the cross are the monograms and crowns of the first and last Romanov tsars, Michael and Nicholas II. On the lower vertical arm are the Slavonic dates 1613 and 1913.