Processional Cross (Primary Title)
Unknown (Artist)
The cross, or crucifix (which includes the figure of Christ), is the most important symbol in the Christian church. A processional cross has a liturgical function, especially during Holy Week, when it is held aloft to remind the devout of Christ’s Passion (the suffering of Jesus beginning with his entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and ending with his crucifixion on Good Friday). These crosses also evoke meditative pilgrimages to holy sites worldwide. This example is from Burgos, a city in northern Spain that was a major way station on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, a center of Spanish medieval Catholicism.
10 assay/makers marks; 3 located at base of (b) and 7 located on the sides of near the intersection of the cross (a).
Ailsa Mellon Bruce Endowment for Decorative Arts
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC
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