283 - Set of amulets in the shape of a Greek cross, Byzantium, 6th century A.D.

Set of amulets in the shape of a Greek cross, Byzantium, 6th century A.D. Carved limestone. One of the arms of one of the crosses has been restored. Measurements: 4 x 3.5 cm; 16 x 12.5 cm (base). Provenance: Family bequest of Ramon Martí Alsina and Ricard Martí Aguiló. Archaeological collection assembled beginning in the 1950s by successive generations of the family through acquisitions at European galleries and auction houses. Previously part of a French collection. The Greek cross, or crux immissa quadrata, is a cross formed by four arms of equal measurements that intersect at right angles. The Byzantine Empire, the cultural heir to the Roman Empire having emerged from its eastern half, preserved and expanded upon many of the techniques and stylistic patterns of antiquity in its art. However, as in this case, Byzantine culture was enriched with new symbolic forms contributed by the Christian tradition. Thus, among the major stylistic movements in art, Byzantine culture developed a unique and distinctive character.