Pendant cross

Silver pendant crosses are worn in Ethiopia as professions of the Christian faith, a tradition begun in the 15th century with crosses of wood and other metals. The Maria Theresa thaler, an 18th-century Austrian coin popular in Africa in the 19th century, was often melted down and transformed into silver pendant crosses.

Cast silver alloy pendant cross composed of four equal arm in openwork circles. The arms and base have trefoil extensions, and incised designs. Pendant has hinged suspension loop on triangle with openwork X.

Mr. and Mrs. Donald F. Miller, Alexandria, Virginia, acquired Addis Ababa, 1971

Robbins, Warren M. and Nancy Ingram Nooter. 1989. African Art in American Collections. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, p. 510, no. 1309.

As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.

High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/