Early Christian Silver Cross

Eastern Roman/Byzantine

c. 5^th – 6^th Century AD

Front: Decorated with “Magic Eye” designs composed of small circles.

Back: Undecorated.

For a nearly identical cross used as the terminus of a silver Byzantine spoon see The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, catalog “The Cradle of Christianity,” page 89.

46 x 33 mm – 1.75 x 1.25”

Weight: 9.8 gm

This design is from the early Byzantine era in the Holy Land. An elegant and well-crafted artifact in excellent condition with traces of oxidization, retaining its suspension loop. This is not only an uncommon design, but silver pectoral crosses of this time period are many times scarcer than bronze ones.

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.