Processional Cross

The profusion of decoration on this cross testifies to the superior skills of Spanish silversmiths as much as to the importance of the cross in Christian ritual. The many curved, angled, and radiating forms, as well as the narrative illustrations on front and back, were made by hammering the silver from the inside to create three-dimensional elements. This technique, called repoussé, allows for a lighter cross. Had the forms been cast in solid silver, the cross would not be as easy to carry in processions both within the church as well as to gravesites.