Ethiopian Coptic Cross Amulet

Tiny, glossy, and top-heavy with a chunky loop and a paper tag still clinging.

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. Worn at the neck, a cross is generally understood in Ethiopian Christian tradition as a sign of faith and a mark of belonging to the church. Short flared arms end in rounded trumpet-like tips around a small center. The surface is bright and polished with dark recesses at the joints. A thick rolled loop at the top holds a scrap of white tag. It is 1 inches long and 1.25 high.

Pocket-sized and not the least bit apologetic about it.