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. 85

Position 1
Detail ;
Particulars
and lower edge of the circlet are bordered by a double row of reddish-
violet glass tessellae, between which is set a row of round whitish
stone tessellae alternating with gold tessellae. The gold background
of the circlet is adorned with a double row of pearls—round whitish
stone tessellae. A border similar to the one of the circlet frames the
frontal section of the crown on all sides and divides it horizontally
into two uneven parts. In the lower and larger square compartment
a jewel is represented by a light blue opaque cube, and surrounded by
a row of gold tessellae. In the upper semicircular compartment is a
jewel indicated by deep red glass tessellae also set in gold. The lower
rim of the crown is drawn by a similar row of gold tessellae. The cross
surmounting the crown is made of four pear-shaped whitish stone
tessellae set with their narrow ends to a gold centre. The two pre-
pendulia, 0-22 m. long, hanging at either side of the crown are repre-
sented by whitish stone tessellae, alternating with gold cubes. Each
prependulia is terminated in a cross of four pear-shaped whitish stones
of the same size and design as those on the top of the crown. The setting-
bed of the crown reveals that the crown was carefully drawn first in
fresco paint on the smooth plaster. The central jewel was painted in
red, while the gold was shown in yellow.
171
Nimbus
The diameter is 0-494 m- The circle is drawn in one row of large green
opaque glass tessellae. It is outlined by a double row of large gold
tessellae. The background inside the nimbus is filled with gold tessellae
the size and colour of which are different from the gold tessellae used
in the background of the panel. The average size of these tessellae
is o-oi X 0-009 The cubes are made of greenish translucent glass
giving the gold surface a greenish hue, differing from the gold general
background. Several tessellae have lost their gold and give the surface
of the nimbus a mottled greenish hue.
172
Chiton
The high collar of the chiton is made of two kinds of gold tessellae: in
its lower part the same gold is used as for the background; the rest of
the collar is in the greenish hue of gold as in the nimbus. The collar is
adorned with four rows of round whitish stone tessellae. The left side
of the collar is outlined by a row of reddish-violet glass tessellae; its
right edge is covered by the dark brown contour of the hair. The cuff
adorning the sleeve is of gold with shaded parts in deep red glass, and
the border separating the gold sleeve from the hand is drawn by a row
of reddish-violet tessellae. A similar row marks the lower edge of the
cuff. The rectangular jewel adorning the middle of the cuff is made of
light green and darker green tessellae. The setting is of gold. Two
round whitish stone tessellae are at the left of the jewel. At the contour
of the hand near the wrist is seen a small wedge-shaped row of whitish
tessellae representing a fragment of a white sleeve of an undergarment
worn under the chiton.
173
Divitission
The stuff of the divitission is in reddish-violet glass tessellae; the
design woven into the fabric is represented in amber gold, the contour
of the sleeves in dark blue tessellae. Little is left of the gold and jewels
adorning the upper part of the sleeves. The ornament on the gold
background consists of lozenge-shaped blue and green jewels made
by glass tessellae framed in gold and separated one from the other by
narrow bands of burnt-sealing-wax-red glass tessellae. Round whitish
stone tessellae are set on this red background.