CHEMISTRY OF THE CROSS

I am absolutely fascinated with crosses. Having grown up in a strong Christian environment, I appreciate the fact that they hold a lot of religious significance for many people around the world who honour it as a sacred emblem, but for me the appeal of this particular symbol lies elsewhere.

The appeal of the cross

For me, the true beauty of a cross lies in the elegance it its lines. After all, at its core, a cross is basically just one line intersecting another, and there is a purity and integrity to this visual simplicity that aligns perfectly with my personal aesthetic. I also admire the immediate respect a cross commands. As an iconic religious symbol, it has a humbling effect because it reminds viewers that we are spiritual beings, pointing to our innate vulnerability and ‘humanness’; while other variations, like the strong, masculine medical cross and the ornate Maltese cross denote urgency, competence, moral obligation and aspiration. It’s incredible that a single visual symbol could become the vessel of so much meaning.

Did you know?

I’m not overly superstitious, but I do find the phenomenon interesting. For instance, did you know that the custom of ‘touching wood’ in the hope that something will not go wrong, allegedly began when peasants touched a crucifix or rosary beads when they swore an oath or begged a blessing?

Another interesting fact is that many cultures around the world used similar symbols to denote different meanings throughout the ages. For instance, there is much visual correlation between the Celtic cross, Odin’s cross from Norse Mythology, the Native American Medicine Wheel and the Coptic Cross favoured by Gnostic Christians in Egypt – all of which developed independently and at different times and are essentially an even-armed cross within a circle. I find this fascinating.

I try not to allow my personal love for crosses to flow too freely in my product development at Masquerade but over the years a few items have managed to slip in and have become favourites with my customers, like for example the Cross Candles and more recently the Cross Curtains.

With Easter approaching I thought it apt to share this…
Happy Easter!

Marti’s Blog