Processional Cross
(Ethiopia)
The body of this piece is constructed of a pattern of interlocking circles. The incised lines at the intersection of vertical and horizontal elements create thirteen small crosses out of the interlaced design of the body. Three larger crosses spring forth at the top and terminal ends of the cross, defining the cruciform shape of the entire object. The complicated interlace design is found in Ethiopian manuscript illumination associated with the Stephanite order at the end of the 15th century.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
S. Belay; Nancy and Robert Nooter Collection, Washington, D.C., 1988; Walters Art Museum, 1997, by gift.
Exhibitions
2006-2007 | Angels of Light: Ethiopian Art from the Walters Art Museum. Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham; Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton; Museum of Biblical Art, New York. |
2002-2005 | Realms of Faith: Medieval and Byzantine Art from the Walters Art Museum. Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Nashville. |
Conservation
Date | Description | Narrative |
---|---|---|
7/1/2019 | Examination | examined for technical study |
Geographies
Ethiopia (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 13 13/16 x W: 9 11/16 x D: 1 1/8 in. (35.1 x 24.6 x 2.9 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Nancy and Robert Nooter, 1997
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
54.2942