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https://piction.clevelandart.org/cma/ump.di?e=48600DF8DE22D5B1E34055D71FD7B5F632B61AA59D64E1A74FDB0FAF1658828C&s=24247294&se=1905716243&v=2&f=1965.551_o2.jpg

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Nov 12, 2009

Monogram of Christ (Chrismon)

500s

Byzantium, Syria, early Byzantine period, 6th century

Gold sheet, gold wire, and garnets

Overall: 14.8 x 12.1 x 0.7 cm (5 13/16 x 4 3/4 x 1/4 in.)

Weight: 94 g (3.32 oz.)

Gift of Lillian M. Kern 1965.551

Location

105 Byzantine

Did you know?

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.

Description

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.

Provenance

(Comte Xavier du Puytison, Paris); Lillian M. Kern, Cleveland, Heights, Ohio.

Citations

The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966. Reproduced: p. 39 archive.org

The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969. Reproduced: p. 39 archive.org

The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 40 archive.org

Cleveland Museum of Art, and Holger A. Klein. Sacred Gifts and Worldly Treasures: Medieval Masterworks from the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2007. Mentioned and reproduced: P. 66-67, no. 16

Pentcheva, Bissera V. Hagia Sophia: Sound, Space, and Spirit in Byzantium. University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2017. Reproduced: p. 90, fig. 42

Sánchez Galera, José María, and Gregorio Luri Medrano. La edad de las nueces: los niños en el Imperio Romano. Madrid : Ediciones Encuentro S.A., 2021. Reproduced: p. 235, fig. 31

Exhibition history

CMA: "Golden Anniversary Acquisition."

Bavarian Nationalmuseum, Munich (5/10/2007 - 9/16/2007), the J. Paul Getty Musuem, Los Angeles (10/30/2007 - 1/20/2008) and Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Nashville, TN (2/13/2009 - 6/7/2009): "Sacred Gifts and Worldly Treasures: Medieval Masterworks from the Cleveland Museum of Art"

Sacred Gifts and Worldly Treasures: Medieval Masterworks from the Cleveland Museum of Art. National Museum of Bavaria, Munich, Germany (May 10-September 16, 2007); J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, CA (October 30, 2007-January 20, 2008); Frist Art Museum, Nashville, TN (February 13-June 7, 2009).

Cite this page

{{cite web|title=Monogram of Christ (Chrismon)|url=https://clevelandart.org/art/1965.551|year=500s|access-date=01 October 2023|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

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Monogram of Christ (Chrismon)

Monogram of Christ (Chrismon)

Byzantium, Syria, early Byzantine period, 6th century

Location

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