Images
https://piction.clevelandart.org/cma/ump.di?e=1DBE2DF8FB4AFA9CB565D80D239240702BB85BC115FD647F895D03B369C6F0FA&s=24247294&se=450972956&v=3&f=1938.160_o2.jpg
https://piction.clevelandart.org/cma/ump.di?e=22A678733C0D0465A003065FB59DB81EFDD8B47061CB42651FBE08792DF63C5A&s=24247294&se=450972956&v=1&f=%5C1938.160det01_o2.jpg
Aug 18, 2009
Aug 18, 2009
Columbarium Tomb Plaque with the Monogram of Christ
Columbarium Tomb Plaque with the Monogram of Christ
400–800
Spain
(Visigothic or Byzantine)
Terracotta
Overall: 32.4 x 20.8 cm (12 3/4 x 8 3/16 in.)
Weight: 5.897 kg (13 lbs.)
Gift of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. 1938.160
Location
Download and Share
Description
This thick clay plaque covered a burial niche that contained the remains of the deceased in a simple communal tomb complex called a columbarium. The chi-rho monogram of Christ identifies the deceased as a Christian. The monogram was seen as representing Christ’s victory over death, while the letters that flank it, alpha and omega, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, symbolize Christ as the beginning and end of all things.
Contact us
The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.
To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.
All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.