Ethiopian Coptic Cross Amulet

Fat curving arms and a pinched waist give this pendant the look of a propeller.

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. Four arms swell outward from a narrow center, the lower arm longest and widest at its flat base. The surface is smooth with a cool grey patina and scattered fine scratches. A small bail fits at the top. It is 1.5 inches long and 2.25 high.

Smooth as a river pebble and nearly as quiet.