Cross form

Ethiopian crosses

Also: Ethiopian processional cross · hand (blessing) cross · Lalibela cross

Drawing under review. Redrawn on 21 October 2026 from the museum photograph of its model (The Met, acc. 1998.37): tiered stepped arms, pierced openwork, budded finials, two suspension loops and a socket for the staff. The drawing awaits specialist review.

Form

Almost always elaborate latticework. Processional crosses have a socket for mounting on a staff; priests use smaller hand crosses for blessing.

When it is documented

Surviving museum examples are mostly 18th–20th century. The brass cross used as the model for the Atlas drawing (The Met, acc. 1998.37) is dated 14th–15th century.

Context

Many regional variants exist. The intertwined lattice is said to represent everlasting life.

Links in the Atlas

Historically associated with Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (Tradition)
Processional and hand crosses are central to Ethiopian Orthodox worship; no single official form.

Sources and how they were checked

Latticework; processional socket; hand blessing crosses; materials and museum dates.
Wikipedia, “Ethiopian cross” · checked 2026-10-21 (tertiary reference)
Model object for the Atlas drawing: Processional Cross, Northern Highlands (Lasta region), Ethiopia, 14th–15th century, brass. The Met, acc. 1998.37.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, object 317877 · checked 2026-10-21
Production batch 1 cited this object at the Met address 319786, which does not open; production batch 2 corrected it to 317877.
Production batch 2 manifest, symbol-cross-ethiopian-red · batch-2

Not yet known or sourced

Earliest dated examples not sourced.
Regional types (e.g. Lalibela, Gondar) not distinguished yet.
The revised drawing awaits specialist review.