Cross

Copied Paul Manship, Cross, n.d., bronze, 6 1⁄4 x 5 1⁄4 in. (15.8 x 13.4 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1965.16.78

Artwork Details

Title
Cross
Artist
Date
n.d.
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
6 1⁄4 x 5 1⁄4 in. (15.8 x 13.4 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of the artist
Mediums
Mediums Description
bronze
Classifications
Subjects
  • Figure female — head
  • Object — other — wreath
  • Object — foliage — laurel
  • Emblem — cross
  • Object — weapon — spear
Object Number
1965.16.78
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1965.16.78

Artwork Description

Research has not revealed the purpose for which Paul Manship designed this cross, although the design is very similar to the Navy Cross created by James Earle Fraser after World War I. The trident on the reverse appears as well in Manship’s design for the Navy’s Distinguished Service Medal (see 1965.16.97), created in 1919. The Cross and the Distinguished Service Medal are the highest awards earned in the United States Navy.