Roman Catholic medal from the 18th century from the burial mound of Glybay in Rechytsa district Gomel region

Abstract

The article is devoted to the iconographic and semantic analysis of the Roman Catholic medal, which was revealed during the archaeological study of the Glybov burial mound in 1958. The medal has an oval shape and is made of a copper alloy using the casting technique. The obverse of the medal depicts the instruments of the passions of Jesus Christ, and the reverse depicts a relief image of St. Catherine of Genoa. The instruments of passion are an important and integral attribute of the martyrdom of Jesus Christ, which are described in detail in the four canonical Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), numerous apocryphal texts, reflected in the works of medal painting and decorative and applied art. The instruments of passions symbolize the events that took place in Jerusalem in the last hours of the earthly life of Jesus Christ, as well as after death, which brought him physical and spiritual suffering. The total number of symbol elements depicted on the front side of the medal is 27. On the back of the medal there is a relief image of St. Catherine of Genoa. St. Catherine was canonized by Pope Clement X in 1675 and canonized by Pope Clement XII in 1737. An analysis of the iconographic and semantic features made it possible to date the medal to the 18th century, and the most likely place of its manufacture is Italy.