Iron and silver, 95 grams, 103.01 mm. 10th-11th century AD. The equal-arm cross is widely used in the Orthodox (eastern) church as the prime symbol of the faith. The present example is formed from two very large quadrangular silver billets of about 3mm thickness and about 26mm width set at right-angles. The decorative scheme consists of three longitudinal cable-twisted wires, the central one flanked by plain wires, outside which are panels of carefully coiled and flattened wire giving a filigree effect. The lower billet has a similar design, but the pattern is broken where the upper meets it. At the outer ends were three silver spherical granulations, of which two remain, and on the upper edge are the remains of a twisted wire suspension loop. The reverse is undecorated. Reference: cf. the Viking Age silver pendants with cruciform decoration in the Kostivere hoard from Estonia with several equal-arm cross variants and fine silver workmanship: Hardh, B. Silver in the Viking Age, Acta Archaeologica Lundensia Series in Octavo no.25, Stockholm, 1996. Very fine condition. Provenance: from an old English collection.