Ethiopian Coptic Cross Amulet

A small applied cross sits on a larger one, like a hat on a hat.

This coptic cross amulet is Ethiopian Orthodox, from Ethiopia, East Africa, and dates to the 19th or early 20th century. It is coin silver & fine silver. Ethiopian Orthodox Christians have long worn crosses in many openwork patterns, and the designs vary by region, workshop and the silversmith who made them. The body flares from a narrow top into wide arms, each engraved with fine radiating lines at the tips. A small raised cross is fixed at the center. The finish is bright and lightly scuffed, with dark flecks near the top. It is 1.75 inches long and 2.4 high.

Layered, scratched, and proud of both.