Lesson plan
Tsata
, The Pskov Museum, 17th c. Tsata ( ) is a form of jewelry in the shape of a turned over crescent, typically made from gold or silver. It is placed at the bottom of a riza as a part of the icon decoration in the Eastern Orthodox Church. The tsata looks like a gorget or neck ring. The word derives from the Old Church Slavonic world tsęta (цѧта; meaning "small coin" ) which in turn derives from . It is specifically attached to the riza so that it is placed under the face of a saint, and it typically fastened by its edges to the inner bottom edge of a venets (a halo or a crown above the saint's head). Tsatas could contain a pattern (imprinted, stamped, filigree), gemstones and other design elements. They were a part of most Holy Trinity, Jesus, Virgin Mary icons. They were also used for the icons of some most highly venerated saints of the Orthodox Church, such as John the Baptist, Saint Nicholas, Sergius of Radonezh. The crescent has always been an important symbol for the Eastern Orthodox Church, and tsata itself symbolized a high rank of the saint in the Kingdom of God. Tsata is also a part of the Orthodox cross (placed at the bottom).
Article summary
, The Pskov Museum, 17th c. Tsata ( ) is a form of jewelry in the shape of a turned over crescent, typically made from gold or silver. It is placed at the bottom of a riza as a part of the icon decoration in the Eastern Orthodox Church. The tsata looks like a gorget or neck ring. The word derives from the Old Church Slavonic world tsęta (цѧта; meaning "small coin" ) which in turn derives from . It is specifically attached to the riza so that it is placed under the face of a saint, and it typically fastened by its edges to the inner bottom edge of a venets (a halo or a crown above the saint's head). Tsatas could contain a pattern (imprinted, stamped, filigree), gemstones and other design elements. They were a part of most Holy Trinity, Jesus, Virgin Mary icons. They were also used for the icons of some most highly venerated saints of the Orthodox Church, such as John the Baptist, Saint Nicholas, Sergius of Radonezh. The crescent has always been an important symbol for the Eastern Orthodox Church, and tsata itself symbolized a high rank of the saint in the Kingdom of God. Tsata is also a part of the Orthodox cross (placed at the bottom).
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.