Ethiopian Coptic Cross Amulet

Five bright blobs stud a blackened little cross like buttons on a tiny coat.

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. Short, stubby cross with an oxidized dark face and five polished domed studs, one in each arm and one in the center. A chunky, polished loop sits at the top. The edges are slightly irregular.

Compact, glossy, and rather pleased with itself.