Reliquary cross of Father Dositej, Zica Monastery

Silver filigree gift box commissioned by Father Dositej (man. Žiča) from Prizren masters in the first half of the 20th century. It was made from melted down silver coins of King Peter I.

(STATE BEFORE RESTORATION)

Due to soiling and missing parts, restoration and cleaning was undertaken. The painting on the wood was in an irreparably bad condition, and considering that it does not have any greater value, it was remade by the sisters from the icon painting workshop of the Žiče monastery. The cross at the top of the left palmette is missing, the crown at the top of the almshouse is deformed and glued with wax, the base frame and the left arm of the cross have been soldered in several places. The weight of silver before restoration is 1425.96 gr.

(RESTORATION METHOD)

Above all, it was necessary to remove the layer of grease and corrosion caused by the chemical reaction with the pigments from the icon painting, using the technique of multi-phase and gradual burning with an open flame. Mechanical cleaning with brass brushes was applied in between.

When visible traces of grease and corrosion were removed, the cross fitting was immersed in acid for 24 hours and then washed with a mild soap solution to remove acid residues. After the chemical treatment, additional mechanical cleaning with brass brushes was performed, and then the entire object was heated to a red glow in order to stabilize the material and restore the original crystal structure of the silver.

The missing part was made of silver of the same fineness - 950: the cross on the crown of the left palmette, then the soldered parts, the crown on the cross, the left arm of the cross, decorative twisted threads around the cross, the pedestal in several places. All new parts are installed using the silver soldering technique.

After completion, the silver cross fittings were dipped in acid to remove traces of oxide from the lot, then cleaned, polished and passivated to delay the silver corrosion and patination process. In the end, it was placed again on a wooden base, on which the icon painting was done anew.