Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Altar Cross
This cross would have been placed on the altar and used by priests for blessing the faithful. Its woodcarved center depicts the Crucifixion on one side and Christ's Baptism on the other. The top and bottom arms contain images of the four evangelists. The Crucifixion is flanked by Saints Constantine and Helen (the mother of Emperor Constantine is believed to have discovered in 326 the True Cross near Jerusalem). Beside the Baptism are two unidentified saints. With the small domes and crosses on its top, the frame resembles a church building. An inscription round the base explains that the cross was presented as a gift to a church dedicated to Saint Nicholas.
Inscription
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Henry Walters, Baltimore, [date of acquisition unknown] by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Geographies
Greece (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 8 1/8 x W: 4 in. (20.7 x 10.1 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters
Location in Museum
Centre Street: Third Floor: Byzantine, Russian, and Ethiopian Icons
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.
61.130