Chapter 1
When letters ruled the ancient world
Chapter 2
The artist leaves their mark
Chapter 3
Monograms go to work in the machine age
Chapter 4
The modern repeating canvas
Ch 1 · When letters ruled the ancient world
louisvuitton Medieval Stonemason Marks
Sign your stone, sign your stone, Get paid for what you've done!
louisvuitton Starting around the fifth century BCE, Syracuse and Corinth stamped overlapping letters to guarantee coin weight and metal quality.
Quiz
Which ancient civilization first used monograms stamped onto silver coins to guarantee value?
Quiz
What was the main reason Greek city-states engraved monograms on their ancient coins?
Fun Fact
Masons' marks: Some medieval cathedrals contain over 1,000 individual stonemason marks, revealing how many different hands helped build a single church.
louisvuitton The symmetric cross monogram turned a royal signature into a masterpiece of medieval design.
Quiz
Which medieval ruler signed official documents with a cross-shaped monogram because he struggled to write?
Quiz
What is the name of the central stroke that Charlemagne added to complete his royal monogram?
Glossary
monogram (noun)
A design consisting of combined or overlapping letters, typically representing a person's initials or a name. In the fifth century BCE, Greek cities began stamping these symbols on coins to prove authenticity.
A design consisting of combined or overlapping letters, typically representing a person's initials or a name. In the fifth century BCE, Greek cities began stamping these symbols on coins to prove authenticity.
Quiz
Which Roman emperor famously placed the Chi-Rho monogram on his military banners in 312 CE?
Quiz
What is the term for the stonemason's workbench, which gave its name to their identity marks?
Quiz
Why did medieval stonemasons carve personal geometric monograms into cathedral stones?