Early Christian Design

At the beginning of the Middle Ages, Early Christian design rose to prominence after the fall of Rome. Following Christ's death, the Roman Empire viewed Christianity as a threat since Christians would not recognized the claimed divinity of the emperor. This led to the persecution of Christians as an attempt to quell the spread of Christianity. To escape the threat of persecution, Christianity largely existed underground, figuratively and literally. They built catacombs, underground passages expanding as far as 90 miles and descending as deep as 5 levels. These tunnels and chambers served as a place for Christians to practice their faith and also bury their dead.

This need to remain in hiding ended in 313 when Constantine legalized Christianity and granted it the same rights as all other state religions. As the number of Christians grew, the need for new places of worship also grew. Early Christian churches were modeled after Roman basilicas and were centrally planned. They were comprised of a central nave with flanking aisles, clerestory windows, and included an exonarthex bordered by towers. They also featured baptisteries that were built separately from the church.

There are few examples of Early Christian furniture in existence, but the artifacts that do exist continue with the Roman style. They were heavily decorated with elaborate carvings and jewels. At this time, storage was the most important aspect of furniture. The designs featured in paintings, mural, and frescos included images of Christianity. Some were images of Jesus, Mary, and the apostles, while other images were symbolic, such as the dove, fish, grapevine, lamb, and cross. These design characteristics have remained prevalent throughout history and are often still featured in Christian churches today.

Current Examples

A modern church that uses the central nave and flanking aisles of Early Christian churches

A current dresser that exhibits heavily decorative carvings, similar to Early Christian furniture

A living room featuring a Christian cross, a symbol for Christianity that was used by Early Christians as well

This video provides a brief history of Early Christian design and also shows some great images of design examples:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p17bBVA4EWA