Limburg Staurotheke

Inscribed on the back of the cross is the following verse:[3] God stretched out his hands upon the wood, gushing forth through it the energies of life.

And the crowned ones who have now adorned it, crush with it the temerities of the barbarians The two emperors mentioned in the inscription are Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos and Romanos II, his son.

It features nine enamel panels that portray the Deesis, a scene that depicts Christ in a throne, accompanied by the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist and surrounded by angels.

On the lid of the Limburg Staurotheke, Christ is seen in the middle panel, with John the Baptist to his left and the Virgin Mary to his right.

On an outer border framing the panels are the busts of eight unidentified figures, though they are likely images of four military saints and four important church leaders.

Since Basil the Proedros highly revered Him, he greatly embellished the box of the wood, on which He was stretched and embraced all creation.