Vintage Star of David Pendant, Ethiopia, Africa (E341)

Description

The Star of David is worn by the Falasha Ethiopian Jews, the oldest group within Jewish diaspora. They are believed to be direct descendants from the Solomonic Dynasty from the union of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Haile Selassie, King of the Falasha and Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974, adopted the Star of David to emphasize his genealogical link to King Solomon. Influenced by Christianity and Judaism the Star of David is a symbol of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

As seen here, the symbol of the cross is centered within the star. The star is topped by a horizontal bar below a circle like form. This is  a variant of the older Coptic prototypes that consisted of an Egyptian ankh circle surmounted on a Latin cross.

Using the lost wax technique with coin-silver, it is a one-of-a-kind pendant in very good condition with normal signs of wear consistent with age and use and a fine patina. An attached suspension-loop allows a chain or cord to be threaded through it. The coin silver chain is not included and may be purchased separately. Call 213-568-3030 or email [email protected] for chain options.

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