Cross
Kongo Artist, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Details
Title
Cross
Artist/Maker
Kongo Artist, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Date
Mid seventeenth–mid eighteenth century
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
7 3/4 × 4 3/4 × 5/8 inches
Credit
Gift in memory of Lew C. Deadmore
Accession #
2005.319
At the end of the fifteenth century, Christianity was introduced to the Kingdom of the Kongo, along the coast of central Africa. This influenced religious and artistic practices. Kongo artists created crosses and other objects of worship, combining their Kongolese and Christian iconography. Here, Christ’s face is given African features. Crosses were not only used in Christian liturgy but also served additional diverse functions, in healing, in divination, as symbols of social status and political authority, and as hunting charms.
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