Featured Filigree cross (Greek cross?) Ethnic/tribal?

Got this neat, very three dimensional cross over the weekend. Looks to be low grade silver filigree work. Interesting construction. I believe a cross that goes directly through the middle is a Greek cross vs. a Latin cross. The work made me think North African/African or ethnic/tribal work. I’m not very good at identifying that stuff. Guessing someone here is.

 

It looks like it is supposed to hold something.

 

A Reliquary or meant to hold a piece of Gospel ?

 

It's your?

https://pin.it/3pCvfHo

 

I think the middle part is supposed to hold a relic.
Usually a piece of bone/cloth/wood oid.
You can try to search: reliquary filigree cross maybe
I can't be of any help with dating the cross because all that filigree work looks the same for me

 

European folk filigree cross, and as bosko and Dessert said, it could have held a relic, or a protective prayer.
Origin probably Central Europe, Italy or Balkans.
It looks plated, like the one Nathalie posted. You can see small 'pools' of silver in between the filigree wires, that indicates plating.

 

Good tip on the pools of silver.
...for the Vampyr,Vampir,Banpiroa,Bампір,Upi'r.

 

The 'pools' of silver is solder not plating.

 

That is not my listing but looks to be an almost identical match. Thanks

 

That’s what it looked like to me too. That said when you look at the sides of the piece it does have a reddish glow. Maybe it is also plated on copper.

 

Thanks guys! Lots of great info. I didn’t see how it actually would open for whatever was in it to be removed. It definitely makes sense that it likely held some devotional item though.

 

I am no expert but this does not look familiar, I have seen antique crosses in museums here and in Greece, it looks to me more Western than Balkan. Of course, maybe wrong as I said, not an expert. Searched in BG, in Greek (αντίκα κεντώ σταυρός) found nothing similar. Could be indeed French as indicated in the listing found by Nathalie.

 

Could it be a Jerusalem cross? Found a lot of this shape (with two equal arms) under "old jerusalem filigree cross"

I don't know why it is called "Greek" cross, all the crosses I have seen in Greece are with two unequal arms, like the normal crosses. And I have been there many times, also lived there for a while with my husband.

 

A personal reliquary may not be intended to be reopened.

 

Yeh it doesn’t seem to be, which makes me curious as to how it was taken out!

 

I’ve mot been to any of the places mentioned so I don’t know what is truly used on the ground in these places. Just going with what I saw online. This style cross could be used in Jerusalem for all I know. The listing mentioned also called that cross Art Deco so I have a hard time putting stock in the title. Here’s a photo of what a Jerusalem cross is technically supposed to look like which actually contains Greek crosses.

 

Could have disintegrated over time.

 

Good point.

 

That would be somewhat unsettling owning anothers still full reliquary.Have most empty ones been deconsecrated ?
I wouldn't want to carry around a stranger's cremains,just me.A saint would perhaps be different.

 

J Dagger, after digging a bit, according to Russian sources it is the earliest Christian cross taken from older religions and related to swastika. Cannot help, never seen it around.

Edit: I found a source displaying different old Orthodox crosses from Russian museums, taken from churches, used to keep saints' relics and worn on the chest (I guess by priests, they were kept in churches and not accessible for other people). You can have a look at the pictures. Do not see a similar one although there are equal arm crosses.
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