Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Altar Cross
(Medieval Europe )
This cross would have been placed on the altar and used by priests for blessing the faithful. In the 17th-18th centuries, it was usual for such crosses to be carved out of a single piece of boxwood and fitted with silver mounts. The center here shows the Crucifixion on one side and Christ's Baptism on the other. The horizontal arms contain images of the four evangelists. The Crucifixion side also contains scenes of the Incredulity of Thomas and Resurrection; the Baptism side - of the Annunciation and Presentation of Christ in the Temple.
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
8 3/4 in. (22.3 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.
61.133