DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.61666#0034
fourth or fifth century mouldings in Asia Minor26, and in numerous examples of
Coptic art of the fourth to sixth centuries27. An unusual interest attaches to a
specimen of Sassanian ornament from Ispahan28, for it shows similar courses of laurel
leaves used to form a trellis, which, though the details are different (the lines of the
latticework run diagonally, instead of vertically and horizontally, and the compart-
ments are filled withe four-petaled flowers, instead of leaves), produces a general
effect not unlike that of our trellis in the esonarthex vault.
The most striking feature about the trellis of SanVitale is that its bands are two-striped.
Ordinarily, in all kinds of woven patterns, three-striped bands are used. But the two-
striped band for interweavingpatterns was firmly established atRavenna: characteristic
examples of its use maybe seen on transennae in the cathedral, the museum, and SanVi-
tale itself29. In addition to the two-striped ornament at Parenzo already cited, a capital
in the cathedral30 may be mentioned as showing that it was a motive firmly establi-
shed there also. We have already seen that the two-striped band lived on through
the Middle Ages at Venice. It took on at times, indeed, a character showing the in-
fluence of the ornament of the immigrants from the north, e. g., a well curb at San
Canciano31, but appears again, as mentioned above, in lozenge and trellis formations
with leaf fillings, as in the olden time, in the carved ornament of St. Mark’s32. The most
interesting parallels in Syrian carving are one at Turmanin33, where, according to
de Vogüé’s drawing, a capital is covered with two-striped lattice work, and the one
at Edessa mentioned above34, which, because of the leaf filling and particularly be-
cause of the slight irregularities suggesting the joints of cane, offers us a close ana-
logy. But in no case do we find the vertical and horizontal direction of the bands
nor the use of the same leaf as in San Vitale.
The remaining designs in the stuccoes of San Vitale need not detain us long. The
borders of five-pointed leaves or of three-pointed leaves are extremely common35;
they seem to be derived from the acanthus. Designs composed of circles are almost
universal at this period, as at other periods, but the circles customarily overlap. Examp-
les where there is no overlapping, such as on a sarcophagus recently found near Rome36
and on Early Christian lamps37, do not, merely for that reason, necessarily approach
our stuccoes very closely. An exact parallel, however, for the design in the triforium
arch of the southern esonarthex appears in one of the stuccoed soffits of the cathe-
dral of Parenzo. A mosaic decoration in Hagia Sophia at Constantinople38 contains
circular elements which, though more loosely grouped, are like those in the stuccoes
of San Vitale, especially like those in the side arches of the lower right triforium of
the presbytery. The design of octagons and squares finds a significant parallel in
the design on fragments of textiles discovered in the sarcophagus of San Giuliano
at Rimini39. The sarcophagus itself, it may be mentioned in passing, belongs to the
Ravenna group. Further, the design on these textile fragments is practically that
seen in the mosaics of San Vitale on the costume of the titular saint in the apse and
on that of one of the ladies in the suite of Empress Theodora. All this corroborates
30
Coptic art of the fourth to sixth centuries27. An unusual interest attaches to a
specimen of Sassanian ornament from Ispahan28, for it shows similar courses of laurel
leaves used to form a trellis, which, though the details are different (the lines of the
latticework run diagonally, instead of vertically and horizontally, and the compart-
ments are filled withe four-petaled flowers, instead of leaves), produces a general
effect not unlike that of our trellis in the esonarthex vault.
The most striking feature about the trellis of SanVitale is that its bands are two-striped.
Ordinarily, in all kinds of woven patterns, three-striped bands are used. But the two-
striped band for interweavingpatterns was firmly established atRavenna: characteristic
examples of its use maybe seen on transennae in the cathedral, the museum, and SanVi-
tale itself29. In addition to the two-striped ornament at Parenzo already cited, a capital
in the cathedral30 may be mentioned as showing that it was a motive firmly establi-
shed there also. We have already seen that the two-striped band lived on through
the Middle Ages at Venice. It took on at times, indeed, a character showing the in-
fluence of the ornament of the immigrants from the north, e. g., a well curb at San
Canciano31, but appears again, as mentioned above, in lozenge and trellis formations
with leaf fillings, as in the olden time, in the carved ornament of St. Mark’s32. The most
interesting parallels in Syrian carving are one at Turmanin33, where, according to
de Vogüé’s drawing, a capital is covered with two-striped lattice work, and the one
at Edessa mentioned above34, which, because of the leaf filling and particularly be-
cause of the slight irregularities suggesting the joints of cane, offers us a close ana-
logy. But in no case do we find the vertical and horizontal direction of the bands
nor the use of the same leaf as in San Vitale.
The remaining designs in the stuccoes of San Vitale need not detain us long. The
borders of five-pointed leaves or of three-pointed leaves are extremely common35;
they seem to be derived from the acanthus. Designs composed of circles are almost
universal at this period, as at other periods, but the circles customarily overlap. Examp-
les where there is no overlapping, such as on a sarcophagus recently found near Rome36
and on Early Christian lamps37, do not, merely for that reason, necessarily approach
our stuccoes very closely. An exact parallel, however, for the design in the triforium
arch of the southern esonarthex appears in one of the stuccoed soffits of the cathe-
dral of Parenzo. A mosaic decoration in Hagia Sophia at Constantinople38 contains
circular elements which, though more loosely grouped, are like those in the stuccoes
of San Vitale, especially like those in the side arches of the lower right triforium of
the presbytery. The design of octagons and squares finds a significant parallel in
the design on fragments of textiles discovered in the sarcophagus of San Giuliano
at Rimini39. The sarcophagus itself, it may be mentioned in passing, belongs to the
Ravenna group. Further, the design on these textile fragments is practically that
seen in the mosaics of San Vitale on the costume of the titular saint in the apse and
on that of one of the ladies in the suite of Empress Theodora. All this corroborates
30