Byzantine objects in Medieval Rus’ a case study (original) (raw)
2022, Romanoslavica, vol. 58, issue 1, pp. 62-96
Pieces of enamel jewellery, usually wrought in gold, appear from time to time, in addition to coins, in hoards discovered on the territory of the former Kievan Rus’. This is, for instance, the case with a cloisonné enamel and gold pendant that represent sirens; it dates to the twelfth century and today is on display within the Hermitage Museum. It was found in 1885 in Troitsky (Rylsky) Pereulok in Kiev. This particular technique (enamel) is known to have been peculiar to the area from the beginning of the eleventh century; the end of that century and the next constituted its maximum period of transmission. The paper attempts to place the production of this golden pendant in the cultural context of its time. Can Byzantine influences be detected in this work? If so, how did these reach the area? Did Byzantine artistic workshops function there, as they did, for instance, in Italy from the twelfth century on (In Italy workshops that made mosaic existed in the thirteenth century; see those in Venice producing tesserae for San Marco)? Key words: gold pendant/jewellery; Medieval Rus’; Byzantium; San Marco, Venice; iconographer; Constantinople, iconography; Byzantine Masters; Egypt
Related papers
Byzanz zwischen Orient und Okzident 13, 2019
This volume comprises thirteen papers from the conference ‘New Research on Late Byzantine Goldsmiths‘ Works (13th to 15th Centuries)’, held in the Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum Mainz in October 2019. The contributions primarily deal with the material culture of goldsmiths’ works, such as crosses, reliquary caskets, jewellery, enamel works, and precious stones, spanning the wide geographical area of Byzantium and many of its neighbours, from Russia via Trebizond and Serbia to Crete. Furthermore, written sources on Byzantine goldsmiths, their craft and the provenance of precious metals provide evidence for goldsmithing in Byzantium throughout its history. With contributions by Andreas Rhoby, Paul Hetherington, Olga Shashina, Martin Dennert, Sabrina Schäfer, Anastasios Antonaras, Antje Steinert, Jessica Schmidt, Nikos Kontogiannis, Vana Orfanou, Holger Kempkens, Irina A. Sterligova, Vesna Bikić and Martina Horn.
Loading Preview
Sorry, preview is currently unavailable. You can download the paper by clicking the button above.