A Byzantine silver enkolpion cross featuring a hinged base, two sides that open and close which once contained a religious relic. (Here fastened shut) There is a suspension loop for wear. The front is decorated with the incised image of the Virgin flanked by probably St Peter and St Paul. The reverse shows the Virgin in the 'orans' position. Hands in outstretched prayer. 

Acid test shows presence of silver. I think it is largely bronze,
Height 6cms, Width 3 cms Depth 1 cm weight 44 grams. Feels quite weighty in the hand
A cross of this sort, also known as an ‘enkolpion’, could be worn as a pectoral cross, and was an attribute of bishops during the Middle Ages. Over the course of the centuries, many of these crosses were produced in such a way as to hold a secondary relic. They might contain, for example, relics which were alleged to be part of a saint’s clothing, pieces of the True Cross, or hair fragments. The cross was the most popular Christian symbol in Byzantium: it offered protection to the wearer and would have been available all over the Empire.