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Cross

1550–1600
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 303
The intricately carved cross was used when the clergy blessed the faithful. Its handle inserts into the ten-sided base. The four tiers of the base depict forty-eight scenes from the Hebrew Bible, which Christian theologians regarded as prefiguring events in the life of Christ. On the cross are the related scenes from Christ's life. The intricate carvings are typical of later Byzantine works.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Cross
  • Artist: Attributed to George Laskaris (Giorgios Laskaris)
  • Date: 1550–1600
  • Culture: Byzantine
  • Medium: Boxwood
  • Dimensions: Overall: 16 7/8 x 4 x 3 1/16 in. (42.9 x 10.2 x 7.7 cm)
    base only: 8 9/16 x 3 7/16 x 3 1/16 in. (21.7 x 8.8 x 7.7 cm)
    cross only with shaft: 12 13/16 x 4 x 1 in. (32.5 x 10.2 x 2.6 cm)
    cross without shaft: 8 1/8 x 4 x 1 in. (20.6 x 10.2 x 2.6 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture-Wood
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Giorgi Family Foundation Gift, 2019
  • Object Number: 2019.559a, b
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

More Artwork

More Artwork
Two-Sided Pendant with the Archangel Michael and Daniel in the Lion’s Den, Serpentine, Byzantine
Two-Sided Pendant with the Archangel Michael and Daniel in the Lion’s Den
Byzantine
1200 or later
Crucifix, Figure: boxwood, polished; cross: black wood (modern), German
Crucifix
German
probably 17th century
Jaharis Byzantine Lectionary, Tempera, gold, and ink on parchment; leather binding, Byzantine
Jaharis Byzantine Lectionary
Byzantine
ca. 1100
Cross-Shaped Hanging Lamp, Copper alloy, Byzantine
Cross-Shaped Hanging Lamp
Byzantine
14th century
Crucifix, White oak with paint, gold leaf, and tin leaf (corpus); softwood with paint and tin leaf (cross), Spanish
Crucifix
Spanish
ca. 1150–1200

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