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Source Description
This terracotta lamp displays the superimposed Greek letters Chi (X) and Rho (P), the monogram of Christ. These initials form a symbol that serves as an invocation, or appeal, for his divine protection. People used clay oil lamps to light their homes and, when decorated with Christian symbols, to refer to Christ as the symbolic light of the world.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
32928
label
Chrismon Lamp
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
2
Source metadata
id
32928
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Chrismon Lamp
description
This terracotta lamp displays the superimposed Greek letters Chi (X) and Rho (P), the monogram of Christ. These initials form a symbol that serves as an invocation, or appeal, for his divine protection. People used clay oil lamps to light their homes and, when decorated with Christian symbols, to refer to Christ as the symbolic light of the world.
provenance
Pete N. Nickolas (""Helios Old World Antiquities""), Westminster, Maryland, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1987, by purchase.
date
4th century (Late Antique)
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Ceramics
lamps
imageCount
2
pageCount
2
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
3.3
height
10.6
depth
6.5
dimensionsRaw
H: 1 5/16 x W: 4 3/16 x D: 2 9/16 in. (3.3 x 10.6 x 6.5 cm)
Source extras
cul
Byzantine
med
terracotta
creator_ids
6640
collection_ids
ROM
BYZ
exhibition_ids
none
Page inventory
seq
1
type
photo
mediaId
8bb8d77e48b89b87
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
2
type
photo
mediaId
0f39db0945a84ab9
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no