Processional cross "yämäsor mäsqäl", 13th to 15th century ·  Ethiopia, Ãgaw / Amhara / Tigrini / Godjame / Falasha · ID: 3050473

Description

iron, three-part, base

The cross symbol is ubiquitous in Ethiopia. “Meskel” commemorates the discovery of the true cross and goes back to the Christianization of Ethiopia in the 4th century AD. It is the most important holiday of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

In Ethiopian Christianity the cross originally represented the suffering of Christ but more and more it now symbolizes the hopeful resurrection and the salvation from suffering, and is a powerful symbol of protection, above all against evil and harm.

Over time, more and more shapes and varieties of crosses developed, mainly procession crosses, hand crosses as well as cross pendants.

The procession cross is an important part of many liturgical acts as it serves as a blessing and is widely visible in festive processions.

The object Processional cross “yämäsor mäsqäl”, 13th to 15th century with the object ID 3050473 was part of the auction 102nd Auction on April 13, 2024. The object with the lot number 288 achieved a sales price of EUR 3,300 with an asking price of EUR 2,000.

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