**First Time At Auction**

Africa, Ethiopia, ca. 19th to 20th century CE. A pretty, silvered bronze cross cast with openwork latticed crosses at top and bottom, the upper more elaborate, both cast onto a thick, solid handle whose surface is decorated with stippled diamond patterns. Its ornate aesthetic reflects the richness of Ethiopian Christianity. Size: 3.5" W x 9.25" H (8.9 cm x 23.5 cm)

Ethiopian Christianity is one of the most distinctive traditions of the religion, earlier than much of the rest of Africa thanks to missions from the 1st century until the 4th century, when St. Frumentius of Tyre converted King Ezana. As a result, Ethiopia developed a distinctly African form of Christianity. Geometric designs are characteristic of Ethiopian art, the intertwining lattice style possesses layers of meaning and suggestions of order particular to the culture, symbolizing eternal life and relating to the nature of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

Provenance: private Ventura County, California, USA collection

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#125762

Light patina on surface from age and handling.