This Christian Cross comprises seven quandong (santalum acuminatum) seeds with silver mounts (the suspension hook which is engraved on both sides, and small flower-like terminals on the end of each arm). The seeds are smoothed, perhaps from ritual handling.
Quandong seeds are native to Australia but were traded to China where they were used to make necklaces, Buddhist malas, buttons and other such items of adornment, as well as counters for board games.
By the 19th century, China had a local Christian population thanks to the work of early missionaries.
The use of seven quandong seeds might be a coincidence, or it might be deliberate. The number seven has meanings and associations in Christianity, including the seven sacraments (among Catholics) and the fact that God made the world in six days and rested on the seventh, so can be a symbol for completeness.
Christianity has been present in China since the early medieval period, and became a significant presence in the country during the early modern era. The Church of the East appeared in China in the 7th century, during the Tang dynasty. Catholicism was one of the religions patronized by the emperors of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty, but it did not take root in China until its reintroduction by the Jesuits during the 16th century.
Beginning in the early 19th century, Protestant missions in China attracted small but influential followings, and independent Chinese churches were also established. By the 1840s China became a major destination for Protestant missionaries from Europe and the United States. Catholic missionaries, who had been banned for a time, returned a few decades later. It is difficult to determine an exact number, but historian Kathleen Lodwick estimates that some 50,000 foreigners served in mission work in China between 1809 and 1949, including both Protestants and Catholics. They encountered significant opposition from local elites, who were committed to Confucianism and resented Western ethical systems. Missionaries were often seen as part of Western imperialism.
Accurate data on Chinese Christians is difficult to access. There were some 4 million before 1949 (3 million Catholics and 1 million Protestants). The number of Chinese Christians had increased significantly since the easing of restrictions on religious activities during the economic reforms of the late 1970s. In 2018, the Chinese government declared that there are over 44 million Christians (38 million Protestants & 6 million Catholics) in China. On the other hand, some international Christian organizations estimate that there are tens of millions more, who choose not to publicly identify as such. These estimations are controversial because the organizations which make them are often accused of deliberately inflating them.
For most of Chinese imperial history, religious practice was tightly controlled by the state. The People’s Republic of China also heavily regulates religion, and has increasingly implemented a policy of sinicization of Christianity since 2018. Chinese people over the age of 18 are only allowed to join Christian groups that are registered with one of three state-controlled bodies, either the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, the China Christian Council, or the Protestant Three-Self Patriotic Movement. However, many Chinese Christians are members of informal networks and underground churches, often known as house churches. These began to proliferate during the 1950s when many Christians rejected the state-controlled bodies. Members of house churches represent diverse theological traditions, and have been described as representing a “silent majority” of Chinese Christians.
