On view
Ancient Mediterranean Art
Tile with Christian Monogram in Relief,
ca. 400–700 CE
Byzantine or Visigothic
y1931-15
This plaque was used as a cover for a small niche in a columbarium, or communal tomb for funerary urns. The plaque is prominently decorated with two Christian symbols, suggesting that the deceased was Christian. The center of the tile contains a Christogram, the Chi-Rho, which refers to the first two Greek letters of Christ’s name. On either side are alpha and omega, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet—a reference to a passage from the Book of Revelation in which Christ says that he is the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. An inscription runs up the two long sides of the plaque, “BRACA / RIVS / VASCUM / TVIS” (Bracarius, may you live [here] with your [people]). Scholars debate the meaning of the text; it may be a prayer for the well-being of the deceased.
Information
Title
Tile with Christian Monogram in Relief
Dates
ca. 400–700 CE
Medium
Molded terracotta
Dimensions
32 x 21 x 4.5 cm (12 5/8 x 8 1/4 x 1 3/4 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Ernest T. DeWald
Object Number
y1931-15
Place Made
Spain, Ronda
Inscription
Inscription at sides: BRACA RIVS/ VASCVM TVIS
Period
Materials
Techniques
Acquired by Ernest T. DeWald from an antiquary in Ronda, Spain; given to the Museum in 1931
