Hand cross

Ethiopian Orthodox · ca. 16th-17th century

Ethiopian Orthodox priests bestow blessings on the faithful with hand crosses. The square at the base of this one symbolizes both the Ark of the Covenant (believed to have come to Ethiopia from Jerusalem) and the tomb of Adam (thought to have been at the foot of Christ's cross). The form of this "Havaria" cross, with a cross intersecting a circle, might have been introduced from the desert monasteries of Egypt. Years of handling and abrasion from the priest's robes contributed to the worn surface.