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Monogram of Christ (Chrismon)
500s
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States
The superimposed Greek letters chi and rho, the first two letters of Christ’s name, was a popular early Christian symbol. The monogram of Christ, or chrismon, is also a powerful symbol of imperial victory: it appeared to Emperor Constantine the Great before his battle against Maxentius in ad 312, promising victory in the name of Christ. Made of gold sheet and decorated with three garnets, it may have formed the center of a golden wreath, serving as a protective device and an emblem of Christian triumph.
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Details
- Title: Monogram of Christ (Chrismon)
- Date Created: 500s
- Physical Dimensions: Overall: 14.8 x 12.1 x 0.7 cm (5 13/16 x 4 3/4 x 1/4 in.)
- Provenance: (Comte Xavier du Puytison, Paris); Lillian M. Kern, Cleveland, Heights, Ohio.
- Type: Metalwork
- Rights: CC0
- External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/1965.551
- Medium: gold sheet, gold wire, and garnets
- Fun Fact: This image combines chi (X) and rho (P), the first two letters of Christ's name in Greek. The materials also had symbolic meaning, from the kingly gold to the deep, blood red of the garnets evoking his sacrifice.
- Department: Medieval Art
- Culture: Byzantium, Syria, early Byzantine period, 6th century
- Credit Line: Gift of Lillian M. Kern
- Collection: MED - Byzantine
- Accession Number: 1965.551
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