Exquisitely detailed solid sterling silver large (approx. 2 1/16" tall with solid bale; weight approx. 6.5 g) Eastern Orthodox Cross pendant featuring an 18th century "Old Believers" ornate openwork design with the center of the Cross surrounded by ornamental circle similar to a "Solar", or a "Sun" cross and rich symbolism of images, ornaments and texts inscribed on both sides in Church Slavonic. The obverse bears an image of the three-bar Savior's Cross with the crescent-shaped "Tsata", an ancient Byzantine symbol of Christ as both the King and High Priest, flanked with the Instruments of the Passion standing above the skull (Adam's head), and words of the Troparion (Orthodox hymn) to the Holy Cross. The reverse displays the Orthodox prayer to the Holy Cross based on Psalm 68 of David the King incorporated into floral, vine-like ornament. In a Christian context, the "Sun Cross" design could symbolically represent Jesus as "the sun of righteousness" (Malachi 4:2) and His preaching, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness" (John 8:12). The sprouting vine motif on both sides of the pendant could symbolize the life-giving nature of the Christian Cross, and also refer to another preaching of Christ: "I am the vine; you are the branches" (John 15:5). The Cross bears the "925" print on the back of its solid bale indicating the "sterling" purity of silver. It has visual vintage appearance with signs of aging and wear that might include diminished quality of the artwork, small deformations of its original shape, scratches, dents, and patches of discoloration/patina. The size and weight of the pendant are shown on the photographs for this listing.

The obverse displays an image of the three-bar Suppedaneum cross which is venerated as the true Savior's Cross in the Slavonic Orthodox and some Eastern Catholic churches. Such a cross has three horizontal crossbeams: the top one represents the "INRI" nameplate, and the bottom one, a footrest. The footrest bar is depicted pointing up, toward Heaven, on Christ's right hand side where the Penitent thief, St. Dismas was crucified. The Cross bears the "Tsata", a symbol that could be described as a neck decoration shaped as a turned over crescent, which was used for the Holy Trinity or Jesus to signify the highest status in the Kingdom of God. Parallel to the vertical crossbar, there are small images of the two Instruments of the Passion which are subjects to adoration along with the Cross, the Holy Lance (spear) of a Roman soldier and the Holy Sponge attached to the end of a cane.

The Savior's Cross is marked with abbreviated inscriptions in Church Slavonic incorporated into four "boxes" positioned in each of the four crossbar ends. The top "boxed" end of the vertical crossbar has a Church Slavonic monogram "ЦC" meaning "King of Glory". The "boxed" left and right side ends of the central horizontal crossbar of the pendant bear the Sacred Name of Jesus Christ inscribed as the "IC XC" Greek Christogram, the "IC" on the left, and the "XC" on the right.   

The bottom "boxed" end of the vertical crossbar shows Greek "NIKA" ("VICTORIOUS") inscription made in a Cyrillic transliteration as "HИKA", an ancient symbol of Christ's victory over sin and death achieved on the Cross. The power of sin and death defeated by Jesus is also visualized using a symbolic image of the skull, or Adam's head, buried below the Savior's Cross. The image refers to Golgotha (Calvary), the elevated site where Jesus was crucified, which the Bible says means "the place of the skull" in Hebrew. According to ancient tradition of the Church, it was also the burial place of the first man, Adam.

Taken together, the larger monograms in the boxes create a full traditional Orthodox "Title" of the Savior: "ЦC IC XC HИKA" (King of Glory Jesus Christ the Victorious). These monograms are framed with smaller Church Slavonic words of the Troparion (Orthodox hymn) to the Holy Cross beginning with "КРЕСТУ ТВОЕМУ..." in the top box ("Before Thy Holy Cross we bow down in worship, o Lord, and Thy Holy Resurrection we glorify").

There are four additional, diagonal crossbeams shaped as flower buds, superimposed on the circle surrounding the center of the cross. The diagonal crossbeams usually refer to the cross of Saint Andrew the Apostle. Alternatively, the four flower buds on the vine could symbolize the Four Evangelists. St. Andrew is considered the Founder and the first Bishop of the Christian Church of Byzantium, and is the patron saint of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Saint Andrew is believed to have been crucified on the Crux decussata (X-shaped cross, also known as "Saltire").   

The reverse shows an exquisite floral ornament incorporating a fragment of the prayer to the Holy Cross based on Psalm 68 beginning with "ДА ВОСКРЕСНЕТ БОГ И РАЗЫДУТСЯ ВРАЗИ ЕГО..." meaning "MAY GOD ARISE AND MAY HIS ENEMIES BE SCATTERED". This psalm-based prayer is traditionally inscribed on the reverse of the Old Believers' Orthodox body (Baptism) cross pendants, meaning to provide protection of the faithful cross-bearer against the evil spirits (God's enemies), and thereby is considered a version of the Exorcism prayer.