circa 1680 and later (bezel)

Attributed to the workshop of the Kremlin Armoury, Moscow.

The pendant features a very rare late 17th century gilt metal double sided seal. One side is superbly engraved with a mirror image of Christ holding an orb or globe known as Christ the Pantocrator (Greek – Χριστὸς Παντοκράτωρ, could be translated as Christ the Almighty or All-powerful).

The image of Christ Pantocrator is one of the earliest images of Christ and a central icon of Orthodox Church since Byzantine time.

The engraved image of Christ is surrounded by finely carved scrolling foliage and two rosettes with the Greek abbreviation for Jesus Christ:  ΙΣ – ΧΣ, first and last letters of the name ΙΗΣΟΥΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ – Jesus Christ.

The back is superbly carved and engraved with a vase of flowers. Vases with flowers became a fashionable motif for decorating back sides of pendants in Western Europe in the late 1500s and through 1600s.

Although the design of floral ornaments on this seal pendant is typical Russian, it was clearly influenced by the Western Baroque style of the period.

The silver and pearl bezel in Byzantine medieval style is of a later date: likely, late 1800s – early 1900s.

The quality of craftsmanship of this pendant is superb for the period. The Kremlin Armoury workshop produced objects for the tsars and court aristocracy. Such objects are very rare.

The fact that the seal doesn’t have any inscriptions, indicates that it was probably intended for private correspondence. Image of Christ Pantocrator which occupies the entire surface of the seal points to the highest rank of its owner – perhaps the Tsar himself.

The seal would be impressed on both sides of a piece of wax and attached to a letter with a fabric cord or a ribbon.

The seal matrix measures 36 x 27 mm (1 7/16 x 1 1/16 in.)

Total length with bail is 52 mm (2 in.)

Weight is 40.4 grams.

Sold without chain