Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Processional Cross (so-called Small Bernward Cross)
Not on view
This cross would have been carried in procession during the liturgy and most likely kept upon the altar of the church. The cross’s form, with a circular intersection and projecting square terminals, follows a classical Romanesque model that depicts the cross as a sign of victory. The semiprecious stones adorning the metalwork signify Resurrection and the Heavenly Jerusalem, symbolically empowering the object. The engraved foliate pattern on its back evokes the Tree of Life.
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