Photographs © Hamill Gallery
ETHIOPIAN
Medium Cross 258
14.25" high x 5" wide x 1.75" deep
$150
SOLD
This Ethiopian cross was probably made to be sold. It has been mounted on a wooden staff (as it would have been carried), then fastened to a metal base for stability. It stood on its own but could be knocked over. The base is included in the price.
Ethiopia has been a Christian nation since the 4th C. Crosses similar to these were mounted on staffs and carried during processionals or displayed on altars. They are individually cast in Ethiopia from a silver alloy (or a copper alloy that is silver plated) and can stand on their own without bases. The designs on the back sides are similar to those on the front but usually with fewer incised lines. There is no reason to believe that this cross was ever used in religious services.
Although small for a processional cross, there is little discoloration in the silver plating. Some of the casting left small areas of black near the left middle (see first white photo)
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