Love, faith, and dynasty — a Byzantine engagement ring from the Stathatos Collection reveals the extraordinary world of a prominent family whose story ends at the fall of Constantinople.
Sosannah
Susannah, a woman of rare beauty and deeper virtue, faced a cruel choice — submit or be condemned. Her unwavering courage became a timeless testament to virtue and truth.
Personification of Spring
A tiny Coptic tapestry panel at the Met transforms into a profound meditation on renewal — its personification of Spring bridging pagan tradition, early Christian symbolism, and the timeless cycle of life.
Sweet Violet
Explore the Vienna Dioscurides, a 6th-century fusion of art and science, preserving De Materia Medica through exquisite botanical illustrations and imperial patronage.
St John the Baptist and Four Saints
Discover the Ivory Plaque of St John the Baptist and Four Saints—a masterful Byzantine work reflecting devotion, symbolism, and the enduring legacy of Saint John the Baptist.
Enkolpion with Nativity
The Dumbarton Oaks Enkolpion beautifully unites faith and craftsmanship, its intricate scenes of the Virgin and Christ’s life reflecting Byzantine devotion, protection, and theological storytelling in wearable form.
Pair of Byzantine Gold Perikarpia from Thessaloniki
In Byzantine culture, bejewelled perikarpia served as symbols of status and protection — these extraordinary wristbands from Thessaloniki reveal a city’s turbulent history, buried twice to survive centuries of conflict.
Saint Demetrios in prayer position with Patrons
Unearthed in 1907, lost forever in Thessaloniki’s catastrophic 1917 fire, this surviving mosaic fragment of Saint Demetrios — patron, protector, martyr — remains a breathtaking link to Byzantine devotion.
Education in Byzantium
A vivid Madrid Skylitzes miniature transports us to a Byzantine classroom — attentive students, gesturing teachers, and a thousand-year-old commitment to philosophy, geometry, and intellectual life.
The Torcello Hodegetria
Torcello’s 11th-century Hodegetria mosaic — the Virgin and Apostles shimmering in eternal gold — crowns Venice’s oldest cathedral, a breathtaking Byzantine masterpiece Henry James never forgot.