Whittemore, Thomas [Hrsg.]; Byzantine Institute of America [Mitarb.]: The mosaics of Haghia Sophia at Istanbul: preliminary report (3rd preliminary report): The imperial portraits of the south gallery: work done in 1935 and 1938 (Oxford: printed by John Johnson at the Oxford University Press for the Byzantine Institute, 1942)

PARTICULARS OF COLOURS, MEASUREMENTS, ETC.

Position
Detail
Particulars
145
146
147
148
149
Irene
Head
Chin: directly from the edge of the lower lip is a thin line of whitish
stone. A more prominent high light is given just below the outer line
at the left and right of the upper lip in whitish stone. The crease below
the lower lip and the modelling of the chin is made by an arched row
of dark pinkish flesh tone with a short curved line of greenish-brown
glass tessellae placed just below the upper middle of this arched line.
There is an elliptical-shaped high light in two rows of whitish stone in
the middle of the chin. A rose line of stone marks the tip of the chin
next to the dark brown outline. Just above this is a longer row of
shell-pink stone that extends to either cheek.
Hands
Left hand: length, 0-164 m.; greatest width, 0-085 m. Tessellae are
missing from the middle of the back of the hand. The hand and fingers
are outlined in burnt-sealing-wax-red glass except the tip and the lower
outline of the little finger and hand which are in blue-black glass. The
joining of the first and middle finger, the middle and the third finger,
the third and little finger are also marked by two blue-black glass
tessellae continuing the red outline. The nail on the thumb, first, and
middle fingers is represented by three rose stone tessellae around one
whitish stone cube. The thumb and all the fingers but the little one
are represented with a row of whitish stone at the top, a middle row
of light brown stone and a bottom row of shell-pink stone. At the
base of the middle finger there is a fourth row of rose stone next to the
lower red outline. The little finger is of two rows of stone tessellae:
the upper shell-pink and the lower rose. On the back of the hand a
high light is carried down along the edge of the finger bone to where
it joins the thumb. The colours of the back of the hand are made by
the continuation of the rows of tessellae forming the fingers. These
rows beyond the middle of the back of the hand merge with the light
brown tones which form the rest of the hand near the wrist. The line
continuing the blue-black tessellae separating the first and middle fingers
is rose stone, that continuing the tessellae at the joining of the middle
and third finger is light brown stone, and the continuation of the blue-
black joining point of the third and little finger is shell-pink. At the
bottom of the hand there are a shell-pink and a rose line continuing
to the sleeve.
Right hand: the visible parts are outlined in burnt-sealing-wax-red glass.
In each finger the nail is shown by shell-pink stone tessellae around a
whitish stone cube. The rows of stone tessellae in the fingers all curve
at a downward angle and end in the lower left corner of the finger.
The lower and two outside lines at the base of each finger are of shell-
pink stone. The left rows of stone tessellae on all the fingers are of
whitish stone and are carried up to the tip above the finger nails. The
other tessellae in the fingers are a brownish-white stone.
Nimbus
Diameter, 0-555 m- The circle is drawn in large greyish-green glass
tessellae, followed on the outside by a double row of gold tessellae.
The background of the nimbus is of gold set in irregular concentric
circles.
Crown
Height from top of cross to lower edge of the rim, 0-220 m.; greatest
width, 0-30 m. The crown is outlined along the top and at each side
by a single row of reddish-violet glass tessellae. The lower rim of the
crown is made by a row of round whitish stones alternating with gold
tessellae. The different sections of the crown are outlined by bands