Processional Cross
Unknown Artist
early 20th century (original dated 15th century)
Medium
Brass, gilt
Dimensions
Overall: 25 1/2 x 19 x 3 15/16in. (64.8 x 48.3 x 10cm)
Classification
Reproductions-Metalwork
Culture
Irish
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1911
Accession Number
12.4.9
Art Historical Context
Behold the **Processional Cross**, a brass and gilt reproduction crafted in the early 20th after a 15th-century Irish original Measuring an impressive 25½ × 19 × 3⅞ inches, this artifact evokes the grandeur of medieval religious processions, where such crosses were carried aloft by clergy and parishioners during liturgical ceremonies like Easter or feast days. In Irish Christian tradition, these symbols of faith served as focal points for devotion, blending spiritual authority with communal worship. Crafted from lustrous brass overlaid with gold gilt, the cross exemplifies fine metalwork tech...