The Living Crosses

I first saw the crosses in bundles, hanging from an artisan’s hand and catching the light. Some were made to wear around the neck. Others followed forms used by priests in prayer or procession. Their size and purpose changed, but the cross was everywhere in Lalibela.

Ethiopia adopted Christianity in the fourth century. Crosses now appear in church architecture, manuscripts, textiles, processions, blessings, and the small pendants many people wear. An object sold to a visitor can still belong to that wider religious language.

Artisans in Lalibela make crosses in workshops across the town, often using skills learned within a family. Lost-wax casting allows a maker to shape a detailed wax model before producing the metal form.

How They're Made

The process begins with a wax model. The artisan shapes its arms, loops, and lattice with hand tools, then covers it in a mould material. Heating removes the wax and leaves a cavity for molten metal.

After the metal cools, the mould is broken away and the cross is filed, polished, and finished. The original wax model is lost in the casting process, so each casting begins with its own model.

Designs vary by region and by maker. Lalibela crosses often use intricate lattice, while other regional forms can be more angular or compact. Ask the artisan about a particular design instead of assuming every cross follows one fixed meaning.

More Than Metal

During services, priests carry large processional crosses and use smaller hand crosses for blessing. These are religious objects in active use.

Then there are the hand crosses, small enough to hold during prayer. Priests bless people with them. Pilgrims touch them to their foreheads. The cross is not behind glass. It's in people's hands, against their skin, part of daily life.

Neck crosses hang from string, leather, or chain. I saw silver-colored pieces, brass, and darker alloys worn smooth through touch. The same forms also appear on tables and in artisans’ hands as work offered for sale.

The Artisans Today

Tourism to Lalibela fell sharply during the pandemic and conflict. Artisans who sold much of their work to visitors lost a major source of income.

The craft continues because people make, use, teach, and buy the work. Visitor demand is only one part of that system, but it can help an artisan earn from specialised knowledge.

If you buy a cross, ask who made it, what material was used, how it was produced, and what the design means to that maker. Buy directly when possible and agree on a fair price.

What You Can Do

Visit a workshop with permission, watch the process, and let the maker explain the work in their own words. A direct purchase keeps the exchange clear and gives credit to the person who made the object.