This unusual object, called a tabula ansata (tablet with wings), bears the inscription “Vow of Paulinos the marble mason and of all his house.” The form of the tabula ansata seems to have originated in Greece in the late Archaic period (700–500 BCE). Wood votive plaques containing only text were sometimes given handles (or wings) that allowed them to be affixed to a surface without impinging on the inscription contained within the tablet. Over the subsequent centuries, such votive plaques began to be produced in metal. The form also jumped to stonework, where it was often employed in funerary monuments, including tombstones. The form became ubiquitous in Roman times (500 BCE to 500 CE), used for a variety of inscriptions in Greek and Latin and appearing in many types of media.
While the letter forms on this example could date it as early as the 3rd century CE, its inscription identifies the plaque as a votive offering to the Christian God, indicating it likely dates from the early Byzantine period (beginning in 4th century CE). The use of the tabula ansata device in this Christian context illustrates the early Christian adoption of antique, pagan traditions. The bronze loops for hanging on the top and bottom of the frame, along with the openwork inscription, suggest that the plaque was originally part of a chandelier to be hung in a church. The inscription is unusual in that it names the profession of the donor, and even the word meaning “marble mason” is rare in texts from this time period.
