A carved double-headed eagle in Mystras carries a compelling coronation legend. What do the historical sources really tell us about Constantine XI and this remarkable marble slab?
The Icon of Saint Demetrios at The Met
A tenth-century Byzantine ivory icon of Saint Demetrios reveals the artistry, devotion, and military symbolism that made Thessaloniki’s patron saint one of Byzantium’s most revered protectors.
Ciriaca’s Mosaics
Two remarkable Late Antique mosaics reveal the story of Maria Simplicia Rustica and her husband, offering a moving glimpse into love, loss and remembrance in ancient Rome.
What a Clay Bowl with a Cheetah Tells Us About the Byzantine World
A humble Byzantine clay bowl decorated with a cheetah reveals a world of imperial prestige, artistic skill, trade, and cultural exchange across the medieval Mediterranean.
The Mythical Singer Orpheus
A 4th-century marble table support shows Orpheus surrounded by animals, blending myth and early Christian symbolism in a striking Late Antique work from the Byzantine and Christian Museum in Athens, Greece
St. Paul and Adam in the Earthly Paradise
This ivory diptych pairs Adam’s primordial harmony with Saint Paul’s miraculous acts, presenting a visual argument of restored balance, where faith overcomes disorder, reflecting theological meaning and late Roman cultural tensions.
Codex Purpureus Rossanensis
A sixth-century masterpiece, the Rossano Gospels transforms the Parable of the Ten Virgins into a radiant meditation on vigilance, light, and spiritual readiness for Easter contemplation.
Late Antique Ivory Pyxis
This Late Antique ivory pyxis, carved in Egypt, blends Greek mythological scenes with refined craftsmanship, reflecting a transitional era where classical traditions endured within a changing cultural and religious landscape.
Ktisis
This striking mosaic of Ktisis Mosaic reveals Late Antiquity’s vision of prosperity, where personification, symbolism, and ornament merge to express civic generosity, order, and enduring cultural identity.
Feast Day of Saint John the Forerunner
The mosaics of Nea Moni on Chios exemplify Middle Byzantine artistry, blending theological narrative, imperial patronage, and refined technique to create luminous, expressive compositions that embody the spiritual ideals of the Macedonian Renaissance.