Processional Cross (Primary Title)
Unknown (Artist)
Side A: Images and lettering on both sides of this regal cross deepen its message and enhance the shimmering surfaces. On this side, Mary, crowned Queen of Heaven, holds the Christ child and extends two fingers in blessing. Seraphim flank the holy pair while the archangels Gabriel and Michael stand guard on the cross’s side arms. A third figure appears on the left arm, possibly representing the donor. The horizontal arm is inscribed: “This is the cross of Wälättä Dəngəl which she donated to Däbrä Mika’el [Monastery of St. Michael], of Dämba, so that it might be a guide [for her] to the kingdom of heaven.” The supporting arm at lower left is inscribed: “Magusta Ab destroyed Lendaka’el.” The specific reference of this inscription is unclear.
Side B: This side of the cross is inscribed with an image of the Crucifixion on the top. The Resurrection, showing Christ holding a staff with the pennant of victory while trampling the devil, is etched onto the right arm. The two adjacent figures likely represent Adam and Eve, who also were raised. The inscription on the left arm names King Walda Gyorgis. It is uncertain if this inscription refers to the figure nearby and if the king was arelative of Wälättä Dəngəl, the donor of the cross whose name is inscribed on the other side.
Inscribing Meaning: Writing and Graphic Systems in African Art, National Museum of African Art, Washington, D.C., May 9, 2007 - August 26, 2007
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