Ethiopian Brass Processional Cross, circa 13th-14th Century

Milos Simovic, New York
Sotheby's New York, May 6, 1998, lot 277
Private Collection, New York, acquired at the above auction

Very good condition for an object of this type and age. Minor marks, nicks, abrasions, and dents consistent with age and use. The handle cast separately, possibly as an old replacement done in situ, with a seam down one side and small patches of repair to casting flaws. Fine rubbed and aged dark brown bronze patina with oxidation and verdigris.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

For a closely related Ethiopian cross previously in the Marc and Denyse Ginzberg Collection and dated to the 14th century seeGinzberg (2000: 280). 

Discussing the dating of Ethiopian crosses, Marc Ginzberg (in Cameron 2001: 63) noted: "There is an analogy here with Benin bronzes.  Styles were copied from one century to another, and while we occasionally have a peg to hang our hat on, the age we assign is largely conventional.  We prefer the earlier, as in Benin: fifteenth- and sixteenth-century crosses are valued over those from the eighteenth or nineteenth.  The [Ginzberg, as well as the present,] bronze cross, conventionally, dates from the fourteenth century.  The iron one [= a later example in the Ginzberg Collection] we know is fifteenth or early sixteenth, because the iconography changed after the Muslim insurrection of 1527 and the Jesuits' arrival in 1543."