Explore the beauty of Byzantine art on our webpage showcasing a collection of images. Byzantine art, from 4th century to 1453, known for rich colors, intricate patterns and religious themes. Browse our collection to gain a deeper understanding of this fascinating historical period.
The Hypapante is one of the Great Feasts of the Orthodox church. According to the Gospel of Luke (2:22–38), when Joseph (far left) and the Virgin (center) presented Christ in the temple for the rite of purification forty days after his birth, his divinity was immediately recognized by...
Images of the Virgin Eleousa, the Virgin of Compassion, developed in the later Byzantine centuries and profoundly influenced the art of the Latin West. Here, the intimate poses of the heads and hands display the warm emotional attachment of the Virgin and Child. The fifteenth-century Latin inscription on the reverse...
This is a fragment from the upper arm of a hand-held bronze cross. One side contains a bust of Saint John the Baptist. The other side displays a cross-shaped monogram whose letters form the word KYPIE, vocative of "Lord" - probably the beginning of an inscription that once...
A plain gold hoop with a high bezel treated with a row of fleur-de-lys in high relief. The bezel is inset with a disc nielloed with a cross within a wreath. Free DownloadThis image is in the public domainPL2_57.1582_Top_BW.jpg864 KBdownload-circle Please Subscribe or Donate to...
State officials in the early Byzantine Empire often inspected newly minted silver objects and stamped them to attest to the metal's purity. Four such stamps on the bottom of this cup for Communion wine contain, together with the inspectors' names, the monograms of Emperor Justinian (ruled 527-65)...
The center of this thin dress ornament, which would have been sewn onto a garment through the four holes, is dominated by an imperial cross. The two globes on either side of it represent the two empires (East and West), ruled by two-emperors during the 2nd half of the 5th...
This medallion of Christ is from a group of twelve that once surrounded an icon of the archangel Gabriel. The medallions may have been sent as a gift from the Byzantine court to the neighboring Christian state of Georgia. Free DownloadThis image is in the public domainartwork_1762982033.jpg464 KBdownload-circle...
This small gold pectoral cross of Roman form has splayed ends, and is set with five cabochon garnets, with a tubular ring for suspension. Free DownloadThis image is in the public domainPL7_57.1734_Fnt_BW_H44.jpg633 KBdownload-circle Please Subscribe or Donate to Help Keep This Site Free!...
The blue nicolo inltaglio has a delicate figure of Nike (Victory) standing on an orb and holding a wreath in her outstretched hand. The circular bezel is almost completely separated from the hoop and is held up by a pair of leopards. Other rings of this type contain coins of...
The most common icon of Jesus holding a Bible (or more accurately, the Gospels) is the Christ Pantocrator. This icon depicts Jesus as the ruler of the world, often shown with a stern, somber expression, holding a book (the Gospels) in his left hand and making a blessing gesture with his right.
Saint Anthony the Great (also known as Saint Anthony of Egypt), who is often shown as an elderly monk with a long beard, wearing monastic robes, and sometimes holding a scroll containing his teachings or a passage from scripture. He is considered one of the fathers of Christian monasticism.
This Byzantine silver spoon features a pear-shaped bowl incised with a cross and a slender handle, typical of Late Roman or Byzantine tableware and potentially liturgical implements.
Saint Prokhor, also known as Prochorus of the Kyiv Near Caves, is a revered figure in Orthodox Christianity, celebrated for his miraculous deeds and ascetic life. His feast day is observed on February 10.
The Christ Pantocrator of the Deesis mosaic in Hagia Sophia is a remarkable example of late Byzantine art, dating to the 13th century. This monumental mosaic is located in the south gallery of the iconic church in Istanbul, Turkey.
An early Byzantine icon of Saint John the Baptist, the 6th century AD, in the collection of the Khanenko Museum, Kyiv, Ukraine.
One of the most revered icons in the Russian Orthodox church, Our Lady of Kazan represents the Virgin Mary as the patroness of the city of Kazan and the Holy Protectress of Russia.
This rare and beautifully preserved flask is one of the first to depict St. Sergios on horseback, surrounded by the inscription: "Blessing of the Lord of Saint Sergios." The cult of this 3rd-century saint reached its height of popularity in the 6th century, at the site of his martyrdom in Syria.
The leaf is from a lectionary presented to the Holy Trinity Monastery at Chalke in Constantinople by Empress Katherine Komnene in 1063. It shows the tools of the scribe's trade and a portrait of Saint Matthew: a writer of the Gospels.
This small altarpiece of the Virgin Mary and child Jesus flanked by saints, is designed for a household or private chapel. It is a triptych with three panels, making it easy to fold and transport.
A pectoral cross or pectoral is a cross that is worn on the chest, usually suspended from the neck by a cord or chain. This cross was designed with gold accents, gilt-silver, and cloisonné enamel. It features an image of Christ crucified in the center.
This icon of Christ is flanked on all sides by the four Evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Christ's icon has a golden background, which symbolizes His divine nature.
Saint Andrew, holding a scroll, looks intently to his left, indicating that the panel once may have formed part of a group of icons with Christ at the center.
These three pieces, now separate, once formed part of a two-winged door in the center of an iconostasis
This armband is made up of seven inscribed medallions.
