Object ID
2008.37.15
Object Name
Block, Printing
Material
Lead; Wood
Object Entities
Damianos, John (is related to)
Object Description
Wood and cast lead printing block. The print design has a double-headed eagle at the center. The eagle appears to be clutching something in each claw, but the images are too small to distinguish what the items are. Flanking the eagle on each side are curved olive branches. Above the eagle is a either a crown or mitre styled in the Byzantine fashion. Below the eagle are three stars lined up horizontally. Below each star, from right to left, are the Greek characters for Pi, Sigma, and Omicron.
Origin
Donated by John Damianos. The printing block was used in a linotype printing machine. Linotype presses allowed for the casting of entire lines to be printed at a time. Linotype printing was eventually succeeded by lithograph printing and computer typesetting during the 1960's and 1970's. This printing block was used by the Chicago-based, The Greek Art Printing Company. It is unclear what the Pi, Sigma, and Omicron characters refer to. It is possible it refers to a certain Greek organization. The double-headed eagle is a symbol traced back to the Byzantine Empire, denoting the emperor's authority over secular and religious matters. The double-headed eagle is still used on the flag of the Greek Orthodox Church and on the coat of arms of the General Staff of the Greek Army. Olive branches are signs of peace. The crown, or perhaps mitre, is styled in the fashion of the crowns worn by the Byzantine emperors. The mitres still worn by Greek Orthodox clergy are also fashioned like the crowns of the Byzantine emperors.
Rights and Reproduction
The content on this site is made available for research and education purposes only. The use of these materials may be restricted by law or the donor.

Any other use, such as exhibition, publication, or commercial use, is not allowed except by written permission in accordance with the NHM Image Rights and Reproduction Policy.

For questions on image rights and reproduction, please contact nhmcollections@hellenicmuseum.org
Citation
Block, Printing, Greek Art Printing Company Artifact Collection, National Hellenic Museum, https://collections.nationalhellenicmuseum.org/Detail/objects/9788. Accessed 04/26/24.