Ethiopian crosses. A cultural history and chronology

Ethiopian art – with its links to Byzantine, Islamic and Subsaharan civilisations – unquestionably represents one of the most powerful expressions of African culture’s bountiful treasures. Through the passage of time, Ethiopia has been the focal point of numerous external influences from the Mediterranean, from the African interior, from the Arabic peninsula and from the Indian Ocean. This age-old convergence of profoundly diverse cultures is, in fact, integral to the unique cultural heritage that is reflected in Ethiopia’s historic past. The rich material presented by Professor Stanislaw Chojnacki in this scholarly work is the product of an in-depth analysis of a vast collection of Ethiopian crosses found both within the borders of Ethiopia and – increasingly – in museums around the world. These crosses have been examined by the author with the same conviction and the same wonder as Pliny the Elder, who proclaimed in admiration „ex Africa semper aliquid novi”. In essence, Ethiopian Crosses, like its predecessor, Ethiopian Icons, represents a highly significant contribution to the field of Ethiopian Studies and is the result of more than thirty years of research.