Byzantine marble slab with greek cross and interlacing bands

Material: Marble
Date range: Late 10th - Early 11th century AD
Origin: Unknown

This marble closure slab, likely a fragment, is decorated with intricate relief carving, characteristic of Byzantine art. The central motif is a circular disc containing a Greek cross (a cross with four arms of equal length). This central design is framed by a symmetrical composition of deeply carved interlacing bands, forming a complex geometrical and knot-like pattern. The carving is executed in a flat, almost two-dimensional manner, allowing the repeating, looping motifs to create a textured, all-over decoration across the surface of the stone.

The slab fragment, which appears to be truncated on the left side, showcases the skilled craftsmanship involved in ecclesiastical architectural decoration of the period. The intertwined bands, a common decorative element in Early Christian and Byzantine art, symbolize eternity or infinity, beautifully contrasting with the solid, central Christian symbol of the cross. The original function of the slab would have been to enclose an area, possibly within a church, serving as a templon or chancel barrier.

Museum label reference: Marble closure slab with relief decoration of interlacing bands, and Greek cross inscribed in disc at the center. Late 10th-early 11th c.

Original Text: Μαρμάρινο θωράκιο με ανάγλυφη διακόσμηση από ταιvιωτά γεωμετρικά πλέγματα, και στο κέντρο δίσκο με ισοσκελή σταυρό. Τέλη 10ου-αρχές 11ου αι. ΒΧΜ 1052

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