Silver Cross

500–700

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 300

This elegant silver cross has flared arms ending in serifs. Similar crosses were given to churches and shrines as votive gifts.

Crosses were everywhere in the early Byzantine world. They marked religious, secular, and domestic buildings, public works, clothes and jewelry, and objects in the home. The cross was a sign of Christ's triumph over death and the hope of eternal life and was frequently ascribed apotropaic, or protective, powers by the faithful.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

References

Title: Silver Cross
Date: 500–700
Culture: Byzantine
Medium: Silver, niello
Dimensions: Overall: 3 15/16 x 3 x 1/8 in. (10 x 7.6 x 0.3 cm)
Classification: Metalwork-Silver
Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1955
Object Number: 55.64.3
Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

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