A digital archive showcasing the extensive collection of jewellery and adornment images shared on the former Ethnic Jewels Ning site over the years. These images have significantly enriched discussions on cultural adornment and its global dispersion.
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Hi Betty, they are for sure three lovely warm silver Ethiopian coptic crosses. The middle one like you wrote sawn out of a Maria Theresa Thaler in the pectoral shape,(Solomonic cross,Shoa cross designs).
The other two are done by the lost wax system, first a mold and than etged in. Looking at the right side one, it is at least from 1930s the tell tale story of the worn through bail (woolen threats can be viscious)
The one on the left I cannot see the bail (inside) too well, to tell the age but looking at the shine and smoothness of it could be the same age. There are crosses with names engraved from the owners, this one has a bit of strange look to it, some are amharic letters but with a twist . Definitely a unique one. Mostly on small crosses they are names, on handcrosses there are sometime bible text on it with a priester's name. Does this help Betty. Gr. Ingrid.
Hi Ingrid. Thank you so much for your insightful comment.
On one of the pictures you can see that actually both the two slightly wider crosses once were Maria Theresa Thalers. With the slightly smaller, and presumably older one (the love most because of its wonderful soft touch and shine) the image of Maria Theresa has been replaced by an engraving, but on the reverse you can still see the eagle.
The slim one is a new acquisition (lost wax technique, as you have remarked below) and I very much appreciate learning more about the inscription. I am glad you are also saying that the inscription has a bit of a strange look, because I was actually in doubt whether this was Geez script or not :)
I didn't know the inscriptions were indeed the owner's names. That's very interesting. Thanks so much for once again sharing your knowledge!