Ethiopian Brass Hand Cross, Based

Right now, a slender cross with flared tips, and a square block at the foot.

This hand cross is from Ethiopia, East Africa, and dates to the 19th century. It is brass. Ethiopian Christianity is among the oldest in the world, and hand crosses held by priests and carried in procession are among its most characteristic ritual objects. Framed simply, a tall, narrow cross in warm yellow-brown tone, with fleur-de-lis style flared ends on each arm. Small knobs punctuate the upright shaft, which ends in a flat rectangular plate and a pointed tip. The surface is softly worn. It is 2.5 inches wide, 2 deep and 10 high.

Tall, simple and decorated only where it counts.