Precious triad Cross-Anchor-Heart

Precious triad Cross-Anchor-Heart
Filigree jeweled pendant. Precious triad Cross-Anchor-Heart

Precious triad Cross-Anchor-Heart
Faith, hope and love – three Christian virtues, mentioned in the first letter to the Corinthians from the Apostle Paul. “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love; but the greatest of these is love. (1 Cor. 13:13)” These virtues are of great importance for Christianity.
For thousands of years, these three signs of triad are an allegory to describe the three main Christian virtues: faith, hope and love. Together, they symbolize the Holy Trinity. In Europe, you can meet these designations in architecture, ornaments and patterns. Sometimes artists portray the Virgin and angels that keep the allegorical subjects.
Noteworthy, the jewelers often depicted the triad in their works in the late 18-19 centuries. According to belief, Cross – Anchor – Heart symbols came into vogue in the 1830s, and are still popular.

Christian triad Cross-Anchor-Heart jewellery
Symbolic triad jewellery

Precious triad is a distinctive feature of Victorian or Edwardian period (1860 – 1920).

Christian triad Cross-Anchor-Heart in jewellery
Cross-Anchor-Heart in jewellery

The cross is a symbol of the Faith. One of the oldest symbols of human civilization. It is a Latin cross, or sometimes referred to as a long cross, traditionally depicted on the triad. In the Middle Ages the Western priests labeled with a cross a passage in the book, where they had to cross.

Christian triad Cross-Anchor-Heart in jewellery
Gold plated brooch

Anchor – a symbol of hope. Sacred items that were sacrificed, for sailors it was very often only anchor, the symbol of salvation. The anchor as a symbol of hope was cast on ancient coins of Greece, Syria, Phoenicia, Carthage and Rome. The value of the anchor has been borrowed from the Christian culture of the Romans, as in the art of ancient Rome anchor symbolized the joy of returning home after a long journey.

Precious triad Cross-Anchor-Heart

Christian triad Cross-Anchor-Heart in jewellery
Christian triad in jewellery

An anchor became the key symbol of Christianity in times of Roman persecution. The early Christians portrayed the anchor instead of a cross on the walls of the catacombs, next to the word “peace”, and the fish – a symbol of Christ.

Faith, hope and love in symbolic jewellery
Silver pendant

Heart – a symbol of love. It was later added to the triad (late 17th century), after Catholicism finally established the cult of “Sacred Heart of Jesus.” It was this cult that categorically was not taken by Russian Orthodox Church, that’s probably for this reason that the allegory Cross – Anchor – Heart has not become widespread in Russia.

Faith, hope and love in symbolic jewellery
Symbolic antique brooch

All the decorations have different designs and materials used in them. They differ in skill performance, beauty and elegance. Consequently, such ornaments were worn by ladies of different consistency and material possibilities, but they all were loved, and they were exposed to great change for current fashion.

Faith, hope and love in symbolic jewellery
Vintage brooch pendant

Precious triad Cross-Anchor-Heart

Faith, hope and love in symbolic jewellery
Silver pendant
Precious triad Cross-Anchor-Heart
Precious triad brooch
Precious triad Cross-Anchor-Heart
Silver pendant
Precious triad Cross-Anchor-Heart
Pendant
Sentimental hair brooch with a living or deceased loved one (mourning brooch)
Sentimental brooch with a hair of living or deceased loved one (mourning brooch)
Suspension plate decorated with natural agate
Natural agate pendant
Three main Christian virtues - faith, hope and love in jewellery
Three main Christian virtues in jewellery
Three main Christian virtues - faith, hope and love in jewellery
Symbolic jewellery
Three main Christian virtues - faith, hope and love in jewellery
Enameled gold tone pendant
Three main Christian virtues - faith, hope and love in jewellery
Beautiful symbolic brooch
Three main Christian virtues - faith, hope and love in jewellery
Vintage brooch
Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sofia (icon by Karp Zolotarev, 1685)
Vera, Nadezhda, and Lyubov and their mother Sofia (icon by Karp Zolotarev, 1685)

The Russians don’t see the triad like anchor, cross and heart. Instead, they see it as three saint women named Vera, Nadezhda, and Lyubov (faith, hope and love), still popular female names. Also, Russia celebrates The Day of the Holy Martyrs Vera, Nadezhda, and Lyubov and their mother Sophia on the 30th of September.

Old postcard depicting Vera, Nadezhda, Lyubov
Old postcard depicting three sisters – Vera, Nadezhda and Lyubov

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