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Crosses
Great Processional Cross
የመስቀል ዑደት ታላቅ መስቀል
Carried at the head of every procession, the great cross leads the clergy around the church on feast days and is raised over the crowds at Meskel and Timkat. Its open lattice of interlacing bands forms crosses within crosses, so that wherever the eye rests it meets the sign of salvation.
Why it matters
Ethiopian processional crosses are mounted on long staffs and draped with fine cloth. Priests use them to bless the people, who kiss the cross and touch it to their foreheads.
Object details
- Date
- c. 15th–16th century
- Material
- Cast and engraved brass on a wooden staff
- Dimensions
- Height of cross head c. 48 cm
- Origin
- Northern Ethiopian highlands
- Gallery
- Crosses
Look closely
- Pierced lattice “cross of crosses” design
- Engraved figures of saints on the central plate
- Socket for a wooden staff
- Silk cloth tied beneath the head during processions
Illustrative record — to be replaced with the church’s documented object and photograph.