Ethiopian Coptic Cross Amulet

Faint scratched marks hide in the center of an otherwise blunt, square-armed cross.

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 crosses are known for their lacework of interlaced lines, with arms that terminate in ornamental shapes and a frame that is often pierced. Thick, straight arms with rounded corners surround a center bearing a few shallow scratched marks. A small notch with engraved chevrons sits below the loop. The grey surface is smooth, dulled and slightly pitted. It is 1 inches long and 2 high.

Modest in manner, with a secret or two in the middle.