Could this design be a stylized cross?

February 3, 2011 10:24 PM

Do you think this design would be perceived as a stylized Christian cross?

I'm wondering because I've seen equally abstract pendants that the designer says were intended as crosses.

This one is not explicitly described that way, but it's being sold on a large, kind of minimal site that has no descriptions from the designers.

I was wondering if you think it would be seen that way. (Nothing against people who do wear a cross, of course -- I just don't want to myself.)

posted by sparrows to Media & Arts (52 answers total)

yes. esp. with the lily imagery.
posted by PinkMoose at 10:25 PM on February 3, 2011

Response by poster: (Sorry, that wasn't crystal clear -- I don't actually care at all what the designer's *intent* was, I care how people will perceive the shape, so I'm asking people's opinions on that.)
posted by sparrows at 10:27 PM on February 3, 2011

I would say no. It does not look like an abstract or stylized cross to my eye.
posted by Fairchild at 10:29 PM on February 3, 2011 [1 favorite]

As a devout non-religious person, I see two leaves and a small gem. Didn't see a cross.
posted by Mister Fabulous at 10:29 PM on February 3, 2011 [4 favorites]

I don't perceive it as a stylized Christian cross. Looks more like a stylized ankh if anything.
posted by amyms at 10:32 PM on February 3, 2011

That wouldn't have occurred to me.
posted by Maxa at 10:32 PM on February 3, 2011

I wouldn't. Too asymmetric. If there's one thing that Christian crosses tend to have in common, it's symmetry of some sort.
posted by supercres at 10:32 PM on February 3, 2011

Doesn't look crosslike to me, looks more plantlike.
posted by pombe at 10:32 PM on February 3, 2011

Definitely plant-like, a bit ankh-like, and pretty!
posted by Xany at 10:35 PM on February 3, 2011

No.
posted by reductiondesign at 10:36 PM on February 3, 2011

One thing to keep in mind is that people will see (or not see) religious imagery depending on their own personal religious or non-religious perspective.

Example: One of my friend's co-workers wears a Christian Ichthys pendant on a necklace. She had no idea it was a Christian symbol until someone else in the office mentioned it. Her boyfriend had given it to her on her birthday because he (and apparently she too) thought it was the symbol for Pisces.
posted by amyms at 10:42 PM on February 3, 2011

Grew up in the Evangelical world, where everything with a chain on it was faith-oriented in some way, and I wouldn't have assumed this was a cross.
posted by verb at 10:42 PM on February 3, 2011 [2 favorites]

Nope. Too leafy.
posted by VelveteenBabbitt at 10:42 PM on February 3, 2011

Another vote for leaf, not cross.
posted by ActingTheGoat at 10:44 PM on February 3, 2011

I am from a Christian background where the women in my family frequently wore stylised abstracty crosses rather than traditional, and this one still wouldn't have struck me that way if you hadn't mentioned it.
posted by lollusc at 11:02 PM on February 3, 2011

Nope.
posted by jjb at 11:13 PM on February 3, 2011

Not to me.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 11:14 PM on February 3, 2011

I'd say ankh, if anything.
posted by Artw at 12:24 AM on February 4, 2011

Nope. Looks like a plant/flower to me.
posted by hapax_legomenon at 12:45 AM on February 4, 2011

Yes, ankh or cross, very much so to me.
posted by salvia at 12:49 AM on February 4, 2011

I'm an atheist and I don't perceive it as a cross. It just looks like leaves or something. My guess is that people who are more familiar with a variety of crosses might see it as a cross.
posted by katyggls at 1:01 AM on February 4, 2011

I don't see it that way at all. If it's relevant, I'm an atheist who was raised as a Christian.
posted by Decani at 1:31 AM on February 4, 2011

Nope. Looks like a really nice leafy design.
posted by TrinsicWS at 1:38 AM on February 4, 2011

Whoever primarily sees a cross in that would probably see crosses everywhere.
posted by robself at 3:26 AM on February 4, 2011 [1 favorite]

Collapsed Catholic, wear a cross for nostalgic/sentimental reasons, don't see a cross at all.
posted by thinkpiece at 4:18 AM on February 4, 2011

I love Christian jewelry, and even if I squint I don't see a cross.
posted by DWRoelands at 4:34 AM on February 4, 2011

I didn't see that at all - even when I knew to look for it. If you like it enough to ask this question, just get it already and don't worry about what others think!
posted by cestmoi15 at 4:55 AM on February 4, 2011

Practicing Catholic, two degrees in theology, and even with the potential lily symbolism it doesn't read a bit as a "cross" to me. Just as naturalistic, floral motif.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 5:26 AM on February 4, 2011

Atheist, and no. From a distance I'd assume it was some sort of fruit.
posted by HFSH at 5:34 AM on February 4, 2011

Atheist here; it didn't look a cross to me. It's very nice, too.
posted by Savannah at 5:39 AM on February 4, 2011

Another "no" vote. FWIW, I'm not Christian.
posted by tuesdayschild at 5:57 AM on February 4, 2011

Not to me.
posted by Flood at 6:01 AM on February 4, 2011

Raised Episcopalian & I took lots of art history and studied lots of religious iconography (which makes me NOT an expert, obviously just someone who looks at stuff a lot) and nope, don't see a cross. Even trying to see one, nope.
posted by pointystick at 6:15 AM on February 4, 2011

Raised very Catholic, but don't see a cross.
posted by quadrilaterals at 6:24 AM on February 4, 2011

Another very Catholic person who has seen a lot of crosses in her day, and I did not think it looked like a cross at all.
posted by maxg94 at 6:29 AM on February 4, 2011

I can see it, but the human brain is pretty amazing at finding patterns. It wouldn't have occurred to me if you hadn't mentioned it.
posted by valkyryn at 6:34 AM on February 4, 2011

From an untrained eye, I would say more nature/leaves. It is really pretty though.
posted by stormpooper at 6:35 AM on February 4, 2011

Another vote for "leaves, and ankh if I'm asked to look for a symbol."
posted by Shepherd at 7:14 AM on February 4, 2011

I'm way Christian and no, it does not read as cross imagery to me at all.
posted by nanojath at 7:18 AM on February 4, 2011

Nope.
posted by 2bucksplus at 7:51 AM on February 4, 2011

It's loopy, curvy, bottom-heavy, asymmetrical and thick - definitely not cross-like to me.
posted by Gordafarin at 8:00 AM on February 4, 2011

Definitely doesn't look like a cross to me.
posted by peacheater at 8:07 AM on February 4, 2011

I didn't see it as a cross, and then

If I saw it from a distance of say...6' away or more, I'd assume it was a "Help Peter, I'm melting" crucifix variant.

I stood up, walked across the room about 10 feet, turned around - Cross.
posted by cashman at 8:19 AM on February 4, 2011

not to me either - and i consider myself pretty sensitive to this exact thing.
posted by crankyrogalsky at 8:36 AM on February 4, 2011

Not to me whatsoever.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 9:09 AM on February 4, 2011

Not to me.
posted by Slinga at 9:26 AM on February 4, 2011

No, although I could see it possibly being mistaken for one from a distance.
(I reduced the size in my browser and squinted at it.)
posted by orme at 9:39 AM on February 4, 2011

I'm be the lone vote for yes. It was the first thing I thought when I saw it, in fact.
posted by General Malaise at 10:32 AM on February 4, 2011

No.
posted by tylerkaraszewski at 10:56 AM on February 4, 2011

Response by poster: So far 48 no, 3 yes. Certainly we're influencing each other with all the No answers, but certainly we have an obvious majority nonetheless. :)
posted by sparrows at 11:23 AM on February 4, 2011

Looking at it shrunk down, I can see how someone *might* see it as a cross if they were looking for one. However, it looks like leaves to me. (Atheist raised Christian, for demographic purposes~)
posted by ashirys at 11:50 AM on February 4, 2011

I wouldn't have seen it unless you mentioned it, but yeah once you said it, that's definitely what I saw. Especially from a bit of a distance. It's just the context. Pendant jewelry is rarely an abstract pattern around here (where I live); what I usually see, other than a single jewel, is either a brand-obvious shape like Tiffany circles or beans, or a cross. So this is sort of crosslike, therefore I see a cross.
posted by fingersandtoes at 12:51 PM on February 4, 2011