Christian religion was very much at the heart of Byzantine culture, politically, socially and artistically. It was an empire run as a theocracy, ruled by God working through the Emperor, and political ideals were largely informed by Christian values. This permeated visual culture as well, not only in terms of art that was explicitly religious in its purpose. With Christian religion becoming the primary religion across the Byzantine Empire, Christian iconography became an extremely popular decorative motif displayed on many smaller decorative items and wares.
The cross was the most popular Christian symbol in Byzantium: it offered protection to the wearer and would have been available all over the Empire, while depiction of saints, angels and the Virgin appeared around the 6th century AD. Processional crosses were used in religious, military, and imperial ceremonies during the Middle Byzantine Period, symbolising the victory of Christ over death. There appear to be two major types of processional crosses, ones made of bronze, such as this piece, and ones made of more precious metals such as gold, silver, and iron. The former was often used on military campaigns as well as in religious ceremonies, highlighting the significant role the Christian religion played in the Byzantine Empire.
