Unknown staurotheke-enkolpion of prohegoumenos Matthaios (1645) from the Bachkovo Monastery in a private collection in Greece

In this article is presented an unpublished staurotheke-enkolpion (1645) from the Bachkovo Monastery, owned by a private collection in Greece (fig.1-3). The reliquary represents the Crucifix-ion on the one side, and a decorative theme with floral motifs and a dedicatory inscription in Greek on the other side, which says: † ΘΙΚΙ ΤΟΥ ΤΙΜΙΟΥ Κ(A)ι / ΖΟΟΠΙΟΥ CΤΑΥΡιΟΥ ΜΟΝΗC Θ(ΕΟΤΟ)ΚΟΥ ΠΕΤΡι/ΤΖΙΟΤΙCIC ΤΟΥ ΠΑΤΖΙΚΟΒΟΥ ΔΙΑ / ΔΕ CΗΝΔΡΟΜΙ ΜΑΤΘΕΟΥ ΙΕ-ΡΟΜΟΝΑΧΟΥ / ΤΟΥ ΠΡΟΗΓΟΥΜΕΝΟΥ 1645 († Box of the True and Life-giving Cross of the Monastery the Mother of God Petritziotisis of Bachkovo. By the expense of prohegoumenos hier-omonk Matthaios, 1645) (fig.3). From the dedicatory inscription we understand that staurotheke-enkolpion was produced in 1645 and commissioned by hieromonk Matthaios, prohegoumenos of the Bachkovo Monastery of Virgin Petritsiotissa. The goldsmith, who was probably a local one, or from an Athonite workshop, had not left his name, but undoubtedly has left a masterpiece of the post-Byzantine art, which rang-es among the rare relics of this type, the staurotheke-enkolpia, and gives a better idea about the gold-smith art of that period in the Balkans.