Ethiopian Coptic Cross Amulet

Wide, sharp-cornered arms carry faint zigzags that look drawn with a very patient pin.

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. Four broad arms with crisp straight ends spread from a narrow center, each bearing fine dotted zigzag lines. The surface is dull grey and softly worn. A heavy rolled tube loop stands above a flat tab. It is 1.75 inches long and 2.5 high.

Pinpricks arranged with real, slightly obsessive care.