Altar cross of Father Seraphim Baltic, Abbot of Studenica and Zica Monasteries, Zica Monastery

The throne cross commissioned by Father Serafim Baltić, Archimandrite of Studenica and Žički in the middle of the 20th century. The cross is reminiscent of similar works by Macedonian and Bulgarian silversmiths. It consists of a base decorated with granules and a conical extension. There is a pear-shaped nodule on the column and a ball in the middle of the supporting column. The wood-carved cross is encased on the front and back with a slotted silver sheet with a wreath of twisted filaigran wire around the inner rim. On the arms of the cross, there are three-tier extensions that taper at the ends. The space between the arms is filled with developed forms of a vegetal motif with four domes in the corners of the intersection of the arms. The cross is decorated with inlaid glass in green, purple and red colors and red corals, as well as with four oblong yellow stones. Partially gilded.

(STATE BEFORE RESTORATION)

The cross is soiled and patinated with a few broken elements and missing colored stones. The silver sheet hardware on the back is broken. The gilding on the plinth foot, nodus, ball and tin fittings has faded and is partially missing.

(RESTORATION METHOD)

The cross was disassembled, immersed in acid for 6 hours, washed in a soap solution and then mechanically cleaned with brass brushes of different hardness and brushes made of natural hair. The procedure was repeated two more times until all impurities were removed. It was not possible to apply the open flame technique because the already weak layer of gilding would be further lost and destroyed. After soldering the broken ones and making the missing parts, they were immersed in acid to remove the oxide from the silver solder. The parts were then annealed to the point of red glow to stabilize the crystal structure of silver and then sweated in acid. After that, polishing and assembly of all parts and inlaying of the missing colored glass was performed.