This bronze Byzantine cross has flaring arms each terminating in pairs of discs. The lower terminus was intended to be inserted or attached to a processional staff. The front once decorated with coloured stones. Decorated on the back with small punched circles and, in the centre, with an abstract animal or bird figure

Conservator’s observations

A copper alloy cross, mounted in a slot in the short original mounting pin (tang). The cross itself was originally made in six parts: a central crossing place, four arms and one ‘splint’ piece. This method is a departure from the more conventional casting as a single piece and may have been made this way because of a lack of a metal sheet large enough for the full cross size. The overlapping joins between the parts were originally rivetted and lead-soldered to conceal the joins from the front. The cross appears to have spent a long period in wet conditions, possibly buried in earth, and the conditions have caused the lead in the joins to oxidise and expand causing the concealed joins to open. On the front of the cross are the remnants of further lead soldering, which used to hold decorative and other elements, such as precious or semi-precious stones, onto the front face. These consisted of a metal decorative margin, a central metal-walled boss (which may possibly once have held a stone or covered reliquary) and four radiating metal decorative tapering lobes. The state and surface of the remnants of the solder, which held all the elements onto the cross face, suggest the elements themselves may have parted from the cross naturally, when the lead solder deteriorated. On the back, were small strips of metal, soldered, on presumably by a restorer at a more recent date to conceal the joins, were removed. The cross has an uneven coating of green copper oxide from its long period in moist conditions