Processional cross surmounting a hand holding an orb,

6th–7th century

This cross, which would have been carried in early Christian religious processions, is held by a bronze hand that highlights and simulates the importance of physical contact with holy objects during Byzantine ritual. After Emperor Constantine made Christianity the imperial religion in the early fourth century CE, holy objects were prominently displayed for greater visibility during processions that announced the importance of Christianity, as well as in newly constructed churches and across the capital city of Constantinople. Participation in rituals through sight, touch, or proximity to a sacred object offered worshippers the potential for divine protection and salvation. Similar Byzantine liturgical objects in bronze that feature hands in this way were produced in the area that is present-day Syria, suggesting a particular regional emphasis on bronze casting and the representation of ritual actions to prompt worshippers to learn Christian practices and tenets.