Amalfi Cross with Swallow

Amalfi Cross with Swallow

A very special one off creation from my Wilde at Heart studio, featuring the Amalfi (or as it was later known, Maltese) Cross, embellished with strawberry vines and a swallow in flight, suspended on a chain of vintage brass from my collection of treasures, interspersed with potato (freshwater) pearls. 

The feature piece of this design is double sided; in case in flips over the back will still look beautiful, with a second swallow in upward flight carrying a tiny pearl in its beak. 

Originally the symbol of the Republic of Amalfi, dating back to the 11th Century, the cross became a symbol for Malta some hundreds of years later, when the eight points on the 4 "V" shaped arms became symbolic for the values of the Knights of St. John:

1. Truth

2. Mercy

3. Repentance

4. Humility

5. Justice

6. Faith

7. Sincerity & Wholeheartedness

8. Endurance

The eight edges of the 4 arms are said to represent the eight medieval nations & their languages whose noblemen comprised the ranks of the Order of St. John.