Liturgical objects

Almost every aspect of the marble lavabo (lavamano), in the Florentine church of San Lorenzo, has been a subject of controversy in art-historical literature. Besides the questions of attribution and dating, opinions have diverged regarding the homogeneity of its parts, its original form, function and location, and the extent of later interventions and their causes. Considering the uniqueness of the lavabo's ornate and complex sculptural decoration, it is curious that little has been said about its iconography. The combined representations of animal heads and composite or hybrid creatures, which are the salient motifs, appear to have no parallel on any Renaissance lavabo. It will be argued, nevertheless, that they symbolically convey the concepts embodied in the liturgical rite, in general, and attitudes towards sin and penance, in particular. We shall see that the fundamental question of visual meanings and their implications, which has not been adequately addressed in the literature, bears significance for a more integral approach to the controversial problems mentioned above and calls for a retrospective study of contexts and prototypes that will elucidate the significance of this sculptural monument. These issues will be the focus of the present chapter.

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During the rule of the Macedonian dynasty (867-1025), the Byzantine aristocracy appears to be particularly active in its artistic patronage. Thus, churches and palaces are built and decorated with paintings and mosaics, luxurious vessels are donated, and precious manuscripts are illuminated at their command. The book focuses on Constantinople, Greece and Asia Minor, where a number of works, realized in that period, have survived; others are recorded in written sources, the latter being often so accurate as to allow us to clearly imagine their original appearance. This volume tackles a selection of case studies linked to the patronage of high officials of the Byzantine Empire during the time span between the ascent to the throne of Basil I and the death of Basil II. These specimens are analyzed both individually and in relation to one another, against the background of the “Renaissance” of Byzantine culture, which flourished after the end of Iconoclasm and to which the aristocrats highly contributed. In addition to well known personalities, other are referred to, whose identities are more elusive; nonetheless, their “intellectual portrait” is outlined in the light of their works. These offer the opportunity to discuss crucial problems, such as their culture, their self-representation, and their artistic models. This work takes an unusual point of view, tracing a historical and social cross-section of Byzantine art one century before and immediately after the year 1000.

This chapter examines Christian textiles, made between 200-600, and determined by their use. At first, Christian textiles were everyday textiles marked as Christian because they were used by and for Christians in ritual, in sacred spaces, and on their bodies and in their homes. Beginning around the fourth century, Christians began to specially mark their textiles with Christian iconography, though not exclusively, as many textiles survive with ambiguous iconography or iconography which points to multiple traditions at once.  Christian attitudes toward imagery and dress are examined, and it is argued that Christian imagery appears, according to literary sources, first on luxury clothing before it is found in churches. As few textiles survive, written sources are used as primary evidence in the essay alongside textile fragments, including discussion of the archaeology of textiles and how textiles were produced in the Early Christian period.