Hand cross

Ethiopia

17th century

Wood, metal

Minneapolis Institute of Art

A carved wooden cross with intricate geometric patterns and swirling motifs is displayed against a plain gray background. The cross has a square base and a decorative finial at the top. Ethiopia was the first African nation to adopt Christianity, more than 1600 years ago. By the 1400s, Christian art in Ethiopia was flourishing, combining Christian imagery with an expressive use of pattern and form. Nowhere else, for instance, are there so many types of Christian crosses. Gallery G254 The David Draper Dayton Fund