Large Saint Francis Tau Cross Necklace: Antiqued Brass Pendant on Leather

Here, Saint Francis does not simply wear the Tau: saint and sign become one.
 
His arms open across the crossbar while doves rise around him, the folds of his habit descending into the stem of the cross. The whole scene emerges from the deep relief of a large antiqued-brass pendant.
 
This is no small, polished charm. It is a bold and substantial piece of worked metal, weighty in the hand and full of texture, shadow and small details that reveal themselves as the cross moves in the light.
THE SIMPLEST CROSS
 
The Tau is the simplest of crosses. Saint Francis returned to it repeatedly, adopting it as his own sign and using it as a plain, Christ-centred expression of conversion, peace and a life continually returned to the Gospel.
 
In this original Paisley Honey design, Francis and the Tau are joined in a single form. His outstretched arms become the crossbar; his robed body becomes its stem. The result is both an image of Saint Francis and a powerful Franciscan cross.
 
THE DOVES AND THE BEE
Early Franciscan accounts remember Francis speaking to the birds as fellow creatures and calling them to praise their Creator. Here, doves gather and rise around him—not merely as decoration, but as part of that deeper Franciscan understanding of creation as kinship, praise and gift.
 
On the reverse is a solitary bee: a quiet Paisley Honey detail and a link between prayer, labour and the created world.
 
The bee also belongs naturally within the story of Francis. An early Franciscan account remembers him wanting food set out for bees during winter so that they would not perish in the cold. On this cross, that little bee becomes a small sign of attentiveness: care extended even towards the most easily overlooked life.
 
MADE DURING THE EIGHTH CENTENARY
This necklace was developed during 2026, the eighth centenary year of the Transitus of Saint Francis—800 years since his passage from earthly life in 1226.
It is my own independent handmade response to the continuing life of his witness: simplicity, reconciliation, humility, prayer and a sense of belonging within the whole created world.
 
MADE TO BE WORN AND HELD
The completed necklace is made by hand in Paisley, Scotland, using a genuine brown leather cord, antiqued-brass-tone fittings and this original, double-sided Saint Francis Tau cross.
 
The metalwork is deliberately textured rather than highly polished. Its beauty lies in its worked surfaces, deep relief and tactile detail. It is made to grow familiar through wearing and handling—not to remain untouched or immaculate.
 
The pendant hangs from an approximately 45 cm / 17.7 inch leather cord, with a short extension chain providing a small amount of additional adjustment. This is a relatively short necklace and will sit close to the base of the neck on many adults.
 
DETAILS
• Large Saint Francis Tau cross necklace
• Original Paisley Honey metalwork
• Antiqued brass pendant
• Saint Francis and doves in raised relief
• Solitary bee on the reverse
• Double-sided, richly textured design
• Pendant approximately 5 cm high × 4 cm wide / 2 × 1.6 inches
• Substantial, weighty pendant rather than a small or delicate charm
• Genuine brown leather cord, approximately 2 mm thick
• Cord approximately 45 cm / 17.7 inches around when fastened
• Short extension chain for a small amount of additional adjustment
• Lobster-claw fastening
• Designed and handmade in Paisley, Scotland
• Created during the 1226–2026 eighth centenary of the Transitus of Saint Francis
• Carefully packed and supplied ready to give
 
SIZING
Please compare the 45 cm measurement with a necklace you already wear comfortably before ordering. The stated cord measurement does not include the additional drop of the pendant. The extension chain provides only a modest amount of extra length.
 
CARE
Antiqued brass naturally develops a deeper patina through time and handling. This is part of the character of the material.
 
Gently wipe the pendant with a soft, dry cloth. Keep the leather away from prolonged moisture, perfume and household chemicals, and remove the necklace before showering, swimming or sleeping.