Bowl with Cross Decoration

 

In about 300 CE, a Roman officer named Sergius was martyred at ar-Ruṣāfā, an isolated fort in the middle of the desert between Palmyra and the Euphrates. In the fifth century, as more and more pilgrims made their way to the site, it became a large Byzantine city. It was named Sergiopolis, and four monumental basilicas and several chapels were built there. One of these basilicas, which was dedicated to the Holy Cross, has recently yielded a treasure of sacred vessels. Since the pilgrimage site had become so important, Emperor Justinian (527-565 CE) took it under his protection. The bottom of this bowl was decorated with a medallion in which a Greek cross was painted, its four arms ending in a heart-shaped motif.   

Provenance: ancient Sergiopolis. 

Substance: glazed ceramic. 

Dimensions: 20 x 17 cm. 

Era: about 600 CE. 

Text: Michel Fortin p. 116 (translated by Jane Macaulay).

Photo: Jacques Lessard. 

Collection of the National Museum of Damascus. 

 

Michel Fortin, Syria, Land of Civilization. Les Éditions de l'Homme, Musée de la Civilisation de Québec 1999.