The Precedents And/Or Parellels for The High Cross An Assessment of a Cultural Phenomenon

Amy Maguire
Trinity College Dublin
Department of History of Art and Architecture
2019
BA

Subject: Sculpture
Country: Ireland, Rome, Egypt, Armenia

10,000 words

As a monument synonymous with Ireland, the high cross is regarded as distinct to the island and with parellel. However, it is apparent that the form resonates with other cultures including the Roman Empire, Coptic Egypt and Armenia. While Christianity was the unifying factor that propelled their creation, they remain indepted to their locality and are a consequence of self-fashioning. Each culture sought a form that was familiar and representative of their culture and piety, yet through the evolutionary process, they became more distinct. In the Roman Empire, the prevalence of the wreath attests to the consolidation of the power of Constantine through an established commemorative tradition. Moreover, it was adapted to create the ‘labarum’ which remained indepted to the wreath yet distinct in its application.

Irish Georgian Society

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The Precedents And/Or Parellels for The High Cross An Assessment of a Cultural Phenomenon