The cross as a symbol of man's salvation is venerated as the main holy image of Christianity. By accepting the mystery of the Crucifixion and adopting the Faith, a person receives his or her personal cross to be worn on the body and is never separated from it. The loss of such a reliquary brings misfortune and is considered a woe. Orthodox enameled crosses having no image of The Lord or of Saints were the most common form of cross made to be worn on the body in medieval Russia. Simply made and decorated only with Christian symbols, crosses like this symbolize divine clarity.

Two-sided cross.
Silver, gilding; casting, chasing, engraving, enamel.
Length 1 1/2 in. (3.7 cm),
width 7/8 in. (2.1 cm).
Weight 6.9 grams.