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Cross References

March 26–July 31, 2011 | The exhibition presents comparisons between crosses and cross-like designs, exploring relationships between form and meaning, inviting the visitor to follow the story of the cross and its transformations over the first one and one-half thousand years of Christianity.

Cross References focuses on the fascinating and multilayered connotations of the “iconic” sign of Christianity. The exhibition presents comparisons between crosses and cross-like designs, exploring relationships between form and meaning. The display of more than 230 objects—metalwork, sculptures, paintings, ivory carvings and illuminated manuscripts—also invites the visitor to follow the story of the cross and its transformations over the first one and one-half thousand years of Christianity.

Featured alongside highlights from the Dumbarton Oaks Byzantine Collection are loans from several national and international institutions, including the Boston Museum of Fine Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Walters Art Museum, and the Berlin State Museum.