1000-1500 AD, Crusader Period. A bronze double reliquary cross with suspension loop from which hangs a box in the form of a cross with rectangular arms. The outside of the box bears only a simple engraved cross motif. The box may be closed by means of a hinge and clasp. Reliquary crosses were used to carry around small relics which provided protection to the wearer. The Cross, the principal symbol of Christianity, recalls the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the redeeming benefits of his Passion and death. The cross is thus a sign both of Christ himself and of the faith of Christians. The cross that the Crusaders wore on their robes was a symbol of martyrdom, and to die in combat was considered a great honour that assured a place in heaven. The Crusades were military expeditions, beginning in the late 11th century, that were organized by western European Christians in response to centuries of Muslim wars of expansion in the Holy Lands. People of all social classes took place in the Crusades, from heavily armed knights to humble peasants using improvised weapons, all in pursuit of salvation in the afterlife. Excellent condition; wearable.Size: L:44mm / W:19mm ; 8g; Provenance: Property of a London gallery, previously in old British collection formed in the 1970s.