Altar Cross with
circular stand. Inspired by the similar
altar cross from Jerusalem, Holy Land. The
crucifixion is intricately hand carved
in pear wood with four Gospel writers and
set in silver filigree. Votive text is hand
engraved on the rim of the stand:
"This
cross was crafted in 2007. due to the
efforts of the brotherhood of banjska
monastery and generous donation of
Mr. Dejan Radojevic
from Kos(ovska)
Mitrovica,in honour of the Christ-adoring
and charitable, holy king steven uros II
milutin."
From the bottom side of
the stand, on the central rosette, there is a
solid silver circular plaque with hand
engraved inscription:
"CRAFTED
BY LORD'S SERVANT, SILVERSMITH Goran RistoviC
Pokimica"
For
decoration of the cross a total of 33
pearls, 22 garnets and 50 corals were used.
WOODEN CHEST
The altar cross is
placed in wooden chest 59
x 39 x
24 cm high, which is
bound from the outside with blacksmith
artwork containing old padlock. The interior
of the chest is cushioned with royal
blue mohair decorated with silver plated
tacks. The altar cross is placed over a
mohair pad and secured with two leather
straps. The interior of the cover is also
cushioned and decorated with silver plated
tacks, containing two leather straps which
hold the leather parchment Charter.
CHARTER
The Charter is 100 cm
long and 30 cm wide, hand written by renowned
Serbian calligrapher
Svetozara Pajic Dijak from Novi Sad, on
goat leather - parchment with decorative
flags and initials. The beginning of the
text is cited from the biography of King
Milutin which was composed by Archbishop
Danilo:
"Вазљубљени
љубитељи Христа, ево се сада спрема ум
слабога самисла худога и смртнога тела
мога, и хоће да принесе достојне похвале
онима који Христа заволеше. Али не знам
како и где да нађем речи за то. Но
најпре споменух Бога, и узвеселих се, и
онда припадам овима које хоћу да
похвалим, и молим се и говорим: Добри и
свемилостиви и најмилосрднији и
незлобиви Господе, који не желиш смрти
људима, него хоћеш да се сви обрате и
упуте на покајање. Који си рекао у Твоме
светом Еванђељу: Молите се и даће вам се
( Мт. 7,7); и опет: Што год узмолите у
молитви верујући, све ће вам се то дати
(Мт. 21,22). Зато и ја молим Твоје
најмилосрдније човекољубље, да ми се да
реч за отварање уста мојих, дарована ми
Твојим Светим и Животворним Духом. Јер,
утврђиван и уразумљиван Његовом
сведаривајућом благодаћу, моћи ћу и ја,
грешни и ништавни слуга Твој, да искажем
нека дела од мноштва неисказаних чудеса
Твојих на нама, а такође и достојним
речима да похвалим ове слуге Твоје и
господу моју, које Твоја божанска
благодат венча и узвеличи и прослави
изнад многих моћних и славних на земљи."
The text
is followed by official signature of St.
King Milutin:
and with text which is engraved on the
altar cross stand:
"This
cross was crafted in 2007. due to the
efforts of the brotherhood of banjska
monastery and generous donation of
Mr. Dejan Radojevic
from Kos(ovska)
Mitrovica,in honour of the Christ-adoring
and charitable, holy king steven uros II
milutin."
At the bottom of the Charter stands
signature line of master calligrapher
saying:
"written
on this parchment by efforts of sinful
servant svetozar
pajic dijak."
Charter
is decorated with hand chased seal on copper
foil which is attached by silk threads and
sealed with bee's wax. It has two peacocks
and a text:
"ST. Stephen's Banjska monastery"
Material:
silver 950, red corals, red and dark red
garnets, pearls, pear-wood.
Technique:
filigree, granulation,
wood-carving (Bigic Nenad, Kragujevac), hand
engraving
(Rade Lazic, Kragujevac),
calligraphy
and copper chasing (Svetozar
Pajic-Dijak, Novi Sad), carpentry
(Radoljub Cirica, Konarevo -
Kraljevo),
blacksmith artwork (Blacksmith's workshop KOV-ART, Milojevic Vaso,
Zica
- Kraljevo), polstry (Rade
Dugalic, Mataruska Banja)
Size:
silver cross 51×31.5x23 cm., chest 59
x 39 x
24 cm.
Weight:
carved crucifixion 235 gr., silver cross 1550 gr.
Year:
2007.
Commissioned by: Mr.
Dejan Radojevic, Kosovska Mitrovica.
In possession of :
Banjska
Monastery, Kosovo and Metohija, Serbia.
