Early Christian Silver Cross - Eastern Roman/Byzantine
Circa 6th - 9th Century AD (Iconoclastic Period)
(Size: 45 x 35mm – 1 3/4 x 1 ¼’’ – Weight: 13.85 gm)
A rare, heavy early Christian pectoral cross, crafted of silver in a nearly equal-armed design with integral suspension loop. This artifact is an uncommon design, and silver pectoral crosses of this time period are many times scarcer than ones crafted in bronze. A virtually identical example is published in the exhibition catalog “Kreuz und Kruzifix” (Diocese Museum of Friesing, Germany, 2005), Nr I.6.1.
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.
