The Blessing was commissioned by Prince Sherbatov, the President of the Russian Nobility Association in New York, as a gift to the Great Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, Alexei II. It symbolizes a reconciliation of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia with The Moscow Patriarchate. The two were split after the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 and officially reunited in 2007. One side of The Blessing pictures the mini version of the Russian Orthodox Church in New York, and a Holy Spirit blessing the church in a form of a dove. On the opposite side is a crucifixion pictured in a three-dimensional work of art. The Blessing is made of 37 individual components, containing lapis, onyx, silver, 18k tri-color gold. Height: 250 mm, 9.8 inches.
Handmade in NYC.