OBJECTS OF DESIRE

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• OBJECTS OF DESIRE
• THE MEDIEVAL MILLENNIUM
• February 3- 2003
• Byzantium

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• The phases of Byzantine Art
• 1. Early Byzantine from foundation of capital
  to Justinian
• 2. Justinian the expression of mature
  Byzantine Art
• 3. The Dark Ages associated with the loss of
  eastern provinces and iconoclasm
• 4. Middle Byzantine flowering under Macedonian
  dynasty. The tenth-century Macedonian
  Renaissance followed by eleventh-century
  flowering of monastic art
• 5. 1204 Fourth Crusade
• 6. Late Byzantine to 1453.

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Pyxis with the Holy Women at the Sepulchre of
Christ, 6th C(Syria or Palestine?)
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Ampulla of Saint Menas, c.610-641, Egypt
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• Menas was an Egyptian soldier serving in Phrygia
  under Diocletian. He proclamed himself a
  Christian and was executed. Stories of
  posthumous miracles--including the floating of
  his coffin to Constantinople expansion of cult.
• Menas is normally depicted as an orans flanked by
  two camels. Sometimes include images of sailing
  ships--intended to protec the pilgrim during the
  journey. Flasks produced from the fifth to the
  seventh centuries at his shrine at Abu Mina.
  Used by the pilgrim to bring home miracle-working
  water from the cisterns at the shrine.

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Qalat-Siman, Martyrium, Column of St Simeon
Stylites
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Attarouthi Treasure 6-7th C from N. Syriasilver
liturgical objects including chalices, censers, a
wine strainer and a dove representing the Holy
Spirit
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• The liturgy
• The prothesis or preliminary preparation of the
  bread and wine
• including antiphonal singing, litanies and
  prayers
• The Liturgy of the Word marked by the Little
  Entrance, scriptural readings, psalms, litanies
  and prayers. Led by a deacon accompanied by
  priests and servers who carried the Gospel book
  from the altar through the templon screen into
  the nave and back to the altar. Symbolized
  Christs coming as the Word
• Liturgy of the Eucharist included the Great
  Entrance which marked the beginning of the second
  part of the liturgy. The deacon carried the
  paten with the eucharistic bread and the priest
  carried the chalice with the wine from the
  prothesis chamber into the nave and then through
  the templon to the altar. Entrance of
  eucharistic gifts was Christs coming in the
  sacrament

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Ravenna, S Vitale, The Emperor Justinian. The
Great Entrance
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Constantinople, Budrum Cami (Myrelaion)
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The Riha Paten, c570Silver gilt. The communion
of the Apostles
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• Sixth-to-seventh century Byzantine Art. Talking
  points
• The icon
• The appropriate means of representation
• a) hellenizing
• b) hieratic
• Explanations
• a) regional (if its good its
  Constantinopolitan) if its bad its
  Syrian
• b) patronage (imperial art is hellenistic)
• c) modes

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The Rabbula Gospels, 586 ADThe
AscensionIllusionistic forms
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Icons from Mt Sinai, 6th C (encaustic enamel on
wood)Theotokos with saints Christ
Saint Peter
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Saint Demetrios Salonica. Mosaic sowing the
Saint with two children early 7th Chieratic
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I Samuel 17, 32-34 Then David said to Saul,
Let not my lords courage fail him, your servant
will go and fight with this Philistine
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• The David Plates (Silver, 638-30)
• The First Cyprus treasure (39 silver objects,
  probably domestic objects, including a plate, a
  censer, a spoon and a bowl was found at the end
  of the 19th Century at Karavas. 1899 purchased
  by the British Museum. In 1902 a second treasure
  discovered near the first. The material was
  probably buried during the Arab invasion of c647
  AD. Nine of the eleven silver plates in the 2nd
  Treasure known as the David Plates
• David was the most powerful king of biblical
  Judah, thought to have reigned from 1010 to 970
  BC. He was anointed as Gods chosen one and
  replaced Saul as King of Israel.
• The David Plates include one large unit, four
  medium and four smaller plates. The large plate
  was probably displayed in the center and the
  smaller ones arranged around in clockwise
  narrative. The images probably resonated with
  court ritual. Silver stamps allow the objects to
  be dated to the reign of the Emperor Heraclius
  (610-641). Defeated the Persians in 428. Both
  rulers were usurpers--the typological connection
  would lend additional authority to Heraclius

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I Samuel 18, 1-17 and Jonathan made a covenant
with David because he loved him as his own life
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I Samuel 17, 38, Saul clothed David with his
garments and put a helmet of bronze on his head
and equipped him with a coat of mail.
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I Samuel 16, 13, Then Samuel took the horn of
oil and anounted him in the midst of his borthers
and the spirit of the Lord seized upon David from
that day forward
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I Samuel 17, 37-37, And David said unto Saul,
Thy servant kept his fathers sheep and there
came a lion, and a bear and took a lamb out of
the flock. And I went out after him and smote
him and delivered it out of his mouth and when he
arose against me I caught him by the beard and
smote him and slew him.
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• Iconoclasm
• Negative attitudes about figurative images had
  been expressed from first expansion of
  Christianity.
• Iconoclasm became the official dogma of the
  Empire between 726 and 780. Leo IIIs roots
  were in the East (Syria)--his attitudes aligned
  Byzantine policy with Islamic attitudes which
  were negative to images. Iconoclasm also
  responded to the lowest period of Byzantine
  fortunes (Arab siege of Constantinople in 717).
  Gods displeasure thought to have resulted from
  idolatry.
• Restoration of images under the Empress Irene.
• Second period of iconoclasm in the reign of
  Theopilus (829-842) who aligned the culture of
  his court with that of his Arab counterpart,
  Harun-al-Rashid.
• Iconoclasts held that a true image had to be
  consubstantial with its model or prototype--a
  kind of magical double, and this was impossible.
  The only genuine image of Christ was in the
  consecrated bread and wine.
• Orthodox argued that an image was a symbol which,
  by means of resemblance, reproduced the person,
  but not the substance of the original

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Chludov Psalter 870-875 The Crucifixion and
IconoclastsThe War with Images
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S. Eirene, Constantinople, apse mosaic after 740
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Church of the Dormition, Nicaea, apse mosaic,
8-9th C
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H. Sophia, apse mosaic, Theotokos and Child ded.
867
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The Fieschi Morgan Staurotheke. Box reliquaryof
the True Cross with Crucifixion scene on the
lid, early 9th C.Combines relic with images.The
True Cross discovered by Constantines mother,
Helen during her pilgrimage to the Holy
Land.Probably post-iconoclast.
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Three ivory panels from a casket with scenes from
the life of Joshua 10th C
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The Joshua Roll
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The 10th-C RenaissanceThe Leo Bible
The Paris Psalter
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Casket with Warriors and Mythological Figures,
10-11 C (bone panels on wooden frame)
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Virgin and Child, 11th C
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Ivory plaque with the Koimesis (Death of the
Virgin), late 10th C.Theme appeared after the
period of iconoclasm. Images based upon homily
of John of Damascus and Pastoral Letter of John I
of Thessalonica. The icon expresses the
Christian hope for and belief in resurrection.
The role of sight in faith. Perhaps re-used as a
book cover in the West
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Triptych Panel with Crucifixion, mid 10th CThe
Crucifixion was one of the twelve Great Feasts of
the Byzantine Church. Compare Daphni. Note the
high quality of the carving fluent,
three-dimensional figures. The ornate canopy
recalls a domed church. At the foot of the Cross
3 soldiers play dice. A personification of Hades
is impaled by the Cross. Probably the central
panel of a triptych. Probably intended mainly
for personal devotion
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• Hymn written by sixth-century hymnographer,
  Romanos the Melode
• Pilate fixed three crosses on Golgotha
• Two for the robbers, and one for the Giver of
  Life.
• When Hades saw him he said to those below
• O my priests and forces, who has fixed the nail
  in my heart?
• A wooden spear has pierced me suddenly and I am
  torn apart
• I am in pain--internal pain I have a belly ache
• And I am forced to vomit forth
• Adam and those descended from Adam

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Daphni
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Daphni
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Daphni
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Ivory Plaque with the Deesis (Christ flanked by
Mary and John Baptist)c.950-1000
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Christ Blessing. Ivory Plaque, perhaps from a
book cover, late-10th-11th C
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Ivory Plaque with Adam and Eve Harvesting Wheat
and working at the Forge, 10-11th C
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Book cover with Crucifixion, ivory plaque late
10th C silver gilt setting before 1085
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Ivory Book cover with Crucifixion in a
silver-gilt setting, before 1085. Originally
from the cathedral of Iaca, Spain
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Cross Stand, bronze, Constantinople or Asia Minor
11-12th C
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One of nine medallions from a Georgian icon
frame.1075-1125Christ flanked by the Virgin,
John Baptist, Peter, Paul, John the Theologian,
Matthew, Luke and George.Found in the late-19th
C on a Georgian icon of the archangel Gabriel.
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