A new piece with a Chi-Rho from the Roman Collection of the Hungarian National Museum

Kocsis, L. (2013) A new piece with a Chi-Rho from the Roman Collection of the Hungarian National Museum. Acta Archaeologica, 64 (1). pp. 113-129. ISSN 0001-5210

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Abstract

The Hungarian National Museum has acquired a specially shaped object. The speciality of the artefact was its form and the Chi-Rho, an Early Christian symbol on the middle of it (Fig. 1).The artefact from an unknown Pannonian provenance was made of bronze. On the basis of the positioning of the Chi-Rho the artefact was likely to have been used while in the vertical position.Taking into account the current physical state of the object, there is a high probability that it was placed on a bowl of an Intercisa III or IV type helmet. Since the uniqueness of the object also enables further possibilities for use, the final solution could only be expected if a similar object will be found.In that period, one should be aware of the helmet decorations with Chi-Rho in case of cavalry helmets, as well. The next group of helmet decorations with Chi-Rho are the ones on the nasal. Hitherto it occurs only in one case, among the gilded silver plates, which covered an Intercisa III type iron helmet, hid and found in the fortress of Alsóhetény (Fig. 9).In the last ten years a new group of objects, decorated with a Chi-Rho have been identified. There are two main groups within the propeller shaped helmet decorationsGroup 1: (Fig. 10)Those mounts belong to the first group, which made from thin bronze plates (0.4–1 mm thick). Every pieces were gilded, the Chi-Rho was framed, and the lower arm, under the medallion with the Chi-Rho, was turned over the edge of the crest above the propeller, the ending is short the Chi-Rho is in a round frame, which could be bead-moulding, laureate or simple frame. Group 2:Those mounts belong to the second group, which made from bronze plates thicker than 1 mm. These pieces were also gilded, and the lower arm, under the medallion with the Chi-Rho was not turned over the edge of the crest, hence this part of the mount survived as a flat plate above the propeller, the ending is prolonged. Within these main characteristics two more subgroups could be isolated: Group 2/a (Fig. 11) In the Group 2/a the Chi-Rho is framed Group 2/b (Fig. 12) In the case of Group 2/b the Chi-Rho is not framed.On the basis of information about dating, the widespread usage of the helmet decorations with Chi-Rho can be followed from the second third of the fourth to the first quarter of the fifth century.

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