Cross (2) - Coptic - silver alloy - 1980-1990 - Meskel - hand cross

Set of 2 Ethiopian priest's hand crosses, 'Meskel', from Ethiopia. The crosses come from the Amhara region.. Each Ethiopian priest has a handheld cross (meskel in Amharic) with which he blesses the faithful. Because a priest holds the cross for a long time, the hand cross must be light and easy to carry. They usually consist of three parts: the cross itself, the shaft and the base. The base serves as a counterweight for the cross. The cross is handmade using the lost-wax method and is a unique piece. The oldest hand crosses are sometimes more than 1000 years old. The material used for these very old crosses is almost always copper. Since the 18th century, alloys with other metals have been found, such as brass and silver. These crosses are made of a silver alloy. Dimensions: 28 x 6 x 0.6 cm and 26 x 10 x 0.5 cm.

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