What it is

The Globus Cruciger is a sphere (the world) crowned by a cross. It appears in the hands of kings, emperors, and even divine figures across medieval art and royal regalia.

What it signifies

1. Dominion of the divine over the world

The orb represents the Earth; the cross represents Christ. Together, they declare that the world is under divine authority. 

2. Authority of rulers as stewards, not owners

When a king holds this orb, it is not merely power he claims, but delegated power—rule exercised on behalf of a higher order. 

3. Unity of spiritual and political order

It unites two realms:

the material world (sphere)

the spiritual sovereignty (cross)

Thus, it proclaims that governance is not only earthly, but also bound to a moral or sacred structure.

A philosophical reflection

Consider the contrast between this and the symbol you first presented.

Where your earlier image divided the circle internally, the globus cruciger crowns it. It does not merely partition existence—it asserts a hierarchy: the visible world beneath, and a guiding principle above.

So one may ask:

Is power something one possesses, or something one bears under a higher law?

The globus cruciger answers—not with argument, but with form