Vintage Ethiopian Coin Silver Coptic Cross with Birds (E303YBL) $70

Description

This hand made vintage Ethiopian Cross is typical of the intricate and beautiful crosses associated with Coptic tradition of Christianity in Ethiopia which combined different cultural traditions, and religious and talismanic motifs. Old Coptic crosses often included a circle, as here with a circular shape on top enclosing an etched circular design and a cut out Coptic cross on the bottom enclosing a stylized. In the Coptic Church, the circle represents the eternal and everlasting love of God demonstrated in Christ’s Crucifixion and resurrection, eternity, Christ’s halo and his infinite love and resurrection.  Circles also are apotropaic symbols believed to provide special magic powers that can bring blessings and repel evil forces and harm. The internal crosses also add spiritual and protective powers. The four stylized birds on the outer edges of the pendant transform the cross into a tree, which is associated with the Trees of Knowledge and Life. In Ethiopian tradition, the sign of the cross combined with the symbol of the tree signifies the True Cross, the beginning and end of time and the unique lineage of the Ethiopian people to the biblical Queen of Sheba.  They are interspersed with geometric shapes that represent the Ark of the Covenant, also associated with the Queen of Sheba. The cross has etched designs on the front and back. Made of coin silver using the lost wax technique, it is a one-of-a-kind Ethiopian cross pendant in very good condition with normal signs of wear consistent with age and use.

For information and bibliographic citations click here for the blog The Evolution and Brilliance of Ethiopian Crosses