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| Keywords: Ethiopian - Hand Cross with Figure - Walters 61340.jpg Hand crosses incorporating human figures are extremely rare and appear to have been executed exclusively in wood Such figures are sometimes identified as Christ or Adam As is typical when human forms are carved as part of the shaft the torso and legs of the figure double as the handle of the cross The material used in creating this type of cross which was often carved by the priest who used it evoked the wood of the cross upon which Christ was crucified The elaborate interlace of the cross the figure holds must have presented a considerable challenge to the carver as it had to be created without compromising the structural integrity of the whole piece Created by drilling holes through the wood and carving linear elements into its surface this design transformed the overall shape of the cross into a delicate web The rectangular base may be interpreted as a reference to the tabot or carved altar box venerated by Ethiopian Christians century 18 19 Early Modern carved wood cm 34 10 7 1 4 accession number 61 340 26771 Knopfelmacher Collection New York William Wright Gallery New York 1991 Nancy and Robert Nooter Collection date and mode of acquisition unknown Walters Art Museum Gift of Nancy and Robert Nooter 1997 Realms of Faith Medieval and Byzantine Art from the Walters Art Museum Frist Center for the Visual Arts Nashville 2001-2002 Angels of Light Ethiopian Art from the Walters Art Museum Birmingham Museum of Art Birmingham; Smith College Museum of Art Northampton; Museum of Biblical Art New York 2006-2007 place of origin Ethiopia Walters Art Museum license Art of Ethiopia in the Walters Art Museum Crosses from Ethiopia Media contributed by the Walters Art Museum needs category review | ||||
