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Rare Eucharistic Bread Mold Inscribed with Name of Christ
Circa 5th-7th Century AD
Description: Eucharistic bread mold carved from a single section of wood. The large circular front side is intricately inscribed with central cross surmounted at each right angle with a small bordered square enclosing a Greek inscription IC XC (the abbreviated name of Jesus Christ) in three of the four squares. The forth square appears to be a reference to the Trinity. Triangular shapes decorate each midpoint of the core design, forming arms of an outer cross. Concentric rings decorate the border. The reverse is smooth and undecorated except for the flat knob of the handle which is carved in the shape of a square with inscriptions mirroring those on the main 'pressing side' of the mold. Extremely rare.
Diameter: 4.9 in. (12.5 cm)
Condition: Intact with overall very crisp incised decoration with legible inscriptions. Minor losses at the edges as visible in photo.
Reference: See Bread and the Liturgy: The Symbolism of Early Christian and Byzantine Bread Stamps, by George Galavaris, #81, for the type. In his seminal work on Bread and the Liturgy, Galavaris dates this particular type to the Early Byzantine Period (5th-6th Century AD), and is most likely from Coptic Egypt.
Background: Excavations at Achmim-Panopolis have yielded a number of Christian stamps, some of which have been identified as bread stamps. These have found their way into various museums and collections in Egypt and Europe. Others have been unearthed in Palestine at important early Christian sites. Asia Minor and Constantinople have also provided examples.
Provenance: Formerly in the collection of the Boston scholar Carroll Wales, collected 1952-1970.
Price: SOLD
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