Early Christian Bronze Bottony Cross
Eastern Roman/Byzantine - c. 6th – 9th Century AD
Front and Back: Decorated with “dot in circle” designs.
Fine thick green patina.
(59 x 48 mm – 2 3/8 x 1 7/8”)
A rare large early Christian bronze pectoral in the form of a bottony cross. Each equal –length arm terminates in three lobes, representing the Trinity. The center of the cross and each lobe are decorated with a “dot in circle” design, on both sides. It is from the Byzantine Iconoclastic Era (ca. 726-843 AD), when human depictions were proscribed.
By the 5th and 6th centuries, the Cross had replaced the Chi-Rho as the standard emblem of Christian religious devotion. Its meaning transcended that of the simple monogram to visually recall the crucifixion. Crosses were worn by individuals from every social stratum, from the elaborate bejeweled golden cross of the patriarch to the simple crosses of the common man. The word crusade, which is derived from the Latin crux (cross), is a reference to the biblical injunction that Christians carry their cross. Crusaders wore a red cross sewn on their tunics to indicate they had assumed the cross and were soldiers of Christ. Many also wore a pectoral cross around their neck.
This is an elegant and well-crafted artifact in excellent condition, retaining its suspension loop so that it might be worn today, 1100-1300 years after it was produced.
