Amhara. Hand Cross (mäsqäl), 19th or 20th century. Silver, 7 1/4 x 2 5/8 in. (18.3 x 6.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of George V. Corinaldi Jr., 79.72.31. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 79.72.31_bw.jpg)
Amhara. Hand Cross (mäsqäl), 19th or 20th century. Silver, 7 1/4 x 2 5/8 in. (18.3 x 6.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of George V. Corinaldi Jr., 79.72.31. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: , CUR.79.72.28-.32_print_bw_edited.jpg)
Hand Cross (mäsqäl)
Arts of Africa
Ethiopian Crosses
Christianity most likely arrived in Ethiopia in the first century. The conversion of King Ezana in 330 c.e. led to its official acceptance and the minting of coins bearing one of the earliest uses of the cross as a Christian symbol. Although the silver pendant crosses in the Museum’s collection are from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, their forms have a considerably longer history, as the much older copper, wood, and iron crosses here demonstrate.
Hand crosses, which are used by priests, are either hand-held or suspended from a cord around the neck. They are kissed by the faithful to receive a blessing. Processional crosses are carried on long poles in religious processions. Prayer staffs are used to mark rhythms during sacred dances and as supports to lean on while standing for long hours during Orthodox church services. Together, all of these crosses are emblems of the Ethiopian Orthodox church’s ongoing authority.
Christianity most likely arrived in Ethiopia in the first century. The conversion of King Ezana in 330 c.e. led to its official acceptance and the minting of coins bearing one of the earliest uses of the cross as a Christian symbol. Although the silver pendant crosses in the Museum’s collection are from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, their forms have a considerably longer history, as the much older copper, wood, and iron crosses here demonstrate.
Hand crosses, which are used by priests, are either hand-held or suspended from a cord around the neck. They are kissed by the faithful to receive a blessing. Processional crosses are carried on long poles in religious processions. Prayer staffs are used to mark rhythms during sacred dances and as supports to lean on while standing for long hours during Orthodox church services. Together, all of these crosses are emblems of the Ethiopian Orthodox church’s ongoing authority.
CULTURE
Amhara
MEDIUM
Silver
DATES
19th or 20th century
DIMENSIONS
7 1/4 x 2 5/8 in. (18.3 x 6.7 cm) (show scale)
COLLECTIONS
Arts of Africa
ACCESSION NUMBER
79.72.31
CREDIT LINE
Gift of George V. Corinaldi Jr.
CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION
Silver hand cross in the form of a diamond with interlace decoration and a Maltese cross in the center. The handle is solid, plain, and ridged. The base plate is square and incised on one side with the image of the Madonna child and two angels; on the other side church and architectural elements are incised. CONDITION: Good.
EXHIBITIONS
MUSEUM LOCATION
This item is not on view
CAPTION
Amhara. Hand Cross (mäsqäl), 19th or 20th century. Silver, 7 1/4 x 2 5/8 in. (18.3 x 6.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of George V. Corinaldi Jr., 79.72.31. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 79.72.31_bw.jpg)
IMAGE
overall, 79.72.31_bw.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph
"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.
RIGHTS STATEMENT
Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply.
Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply).
For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch.
For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright.
If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
RECORD COMPLETENESS
Not every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome any additional information you might have.
