DOI Heft:
No. 4
DOI Artikel:Ratkowska, Paulina: An East Christian diptych with the Heortological Cycle
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17160#0114
6. Cod. Rossanensis, fol. lv 7. Petropolit urius 21
(both details after Ch. R. Morey, Early Christian Art)
8. The Warsaw diptych,
detail of the fig 1
Warsaw diptych, both of them, however, having also eertain distinct features. The first
of the works is the Berlin fragment, frenuently reproduced, identified as the crowning
of a sceptre, carved on its four sides18. Two bigger bear the representation of Christ bestowing
their mission on St Peter and St Paul and the Coronation of an Emperor by the Virgin assisted
by Archangel Gabriel (fig, 21,22). The lateral surfaces show the saints anargyroi — Cosmas and
Damianos. The inscription of the Berlin ivory, referred to an Emperor Leon, has furnished grounds
for an interpretation of the image of the ruler as a „portrait" of Leon VI the Wise19. Dates
of the reign of this last of Leons on the Byzantine throne — 886-912 — proves terminus ad <3
cc
quem for the carving. When disscussing style of the piece the authors of the Corpus stated that g
it clearly differs from that of Constantinopolitan manuscript production as represented by r/j
Parisinus 510. It is auite possible, they went on, that the work was made in a provincial work- hj
shop, althcugh „die Kronung des Kaisers eher auf Hauptstadt hinweist"20.
Drawing comparisens between the representations of the diptych and the images of the ^
Coronation it is necessary to bear in mind the unouestionable difference in chronology of both
these works on the om, hand and the difference in their sizes on the other. The half-figures
of the Coronation ivory cover the surface of about 5 cm X 9 cm, while the groups of the Warsaw
diptych, represented en pieds, are placed in the rectangles of 3,6 cm or 5 cm X 4 cm. It made, of
course, the work of the Coronation carver much easier and it also might induce him to show
minutę features of the faces as well as the ornaments of garments.
Analogicaliy to the division of the Warsaw compartments the figural part of the Coronation
ivory is separated from the architectural crowning by a broad entablature (fig. 23, 24). It
rests on two smali columns and was used by the carver together with the arch, mounted on
18. A. Goldschmidt — K. Weitzmann, op. cii.. No. 88 a-d, p. 52,53, pl. XXXV. Reoently reproduced by J. Beckwith, The
Art of Conslanlinoplc, London, 1961, fig. 79, p. 66 — 67.
19. G. Schlumberger, ,,Un ivoire byzantin du IXe siecle reprćsentant le couronnement de 1'Empereur d'Orient Leon
VI", Cazetle des Beaux-Arts, XXXIV, 1892, p. 118-122.
20. A. Goldschmidt — K. Weitzmann, op. cii., p. 53.
100
(both details after Ch. R. Morey, Early Christian Art)
8. The Warsaw diptych,
detail of the fig 1
Warsaw diptych, both of them, however, having also eertain distinct features. The first
of the works is the Berlin fragment, frenuently reproduced, identified as the crowning
of a sceptre, carved on its four sides18. Two bigger bear the representation of Christ bestowing
their mission on St Peter and St Paul and the Coronation of an Emperor by the Virgin assisted
by Archangel Gabriel (fig, 21,22). The lateral surfaces show the saints anargyroi — Cosmas and
Damianos. The inscription of the Berlin ivory, referred to an Emperor Leon, has furnished grounds
for an interpretation of the image of the ruler as a „portrait" of Leon VI the Wise19. Dates
of the reign of this last of Leons on the Byzantine throne — 886-912 — proves terminus ad <3
cc
quem for the carving. When disscussing style of the piece the authors of the Corpus stated that g
it clearly differs from that of Constantinopolitan manuscript production as represented by r/j
Parisinus 510. It is auite possible, they went on, that the work was made in a provincial work- hj
shop, althcugh „die Kronung des Kaisers eher auf Hauptstadt hinweist"20.
Drawing comparisens between the representations of the diptych and the images of the ^
Coronation it is necessary to bear in mind the unouestionable difference in chronology of both
these works on the om, hand and the difference in their sizes on the other. The half-figures
of the Coronation ivory cover the surface of about 5 cm X 9 cm, while the groups of the Warsaw
diptych, represented en pieds, are placed in the rectangles of 3,6 cm or 5 cm X 4 cm. It made, of
course, the work of the Coronation carver much easier and it also might induce him to show
minutę features of the faces as well as the ornaments of garments.
Analogicaliy to the division of the Warsaw compartments the figural part of the Coronation
ivory is separated from the architectural crowning by a broad entablature (fig. 23, 24). It
rests on two smali columns and was used by the carver together with the arch, mounted on
18. A. Goldschmidt — K. Weitzmann, op. cii.. No. 88 a-d, p. 52,53, pl. XXXV. Reoently reproduced by J. Beckwith, The
Art of Conslanlinoplc, London, 1961, fig. 79, p. 66 — 67.
19. G. Schlumberger, ,,Un ivoire byzantin du IXe siecle reprćsentant le couronnement de 1'Empereur d'Orient Leon
VI", Cazetle des Beaux-Arts, XXXIV, 1892, p. 118-122.
20. A. Goldschmidt — K. Weitzmann, op. cii., p. 53.
100