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Byzantine Art :
Byzantine Crosses : Byzantine Bronze Cross Ornament
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Byzantine Bronze Cross Ornament - CK.0117
Origin: Eastern Mediterranean
Circa: 600
AD
to 900
AD
Dimensions:
5" (12.7cm) high
x 2.5" (6.4cm) wide
Collection: Byzantine
Medium: Bronze and Gold
$5,000.00
Location: United States
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| Description |
While Christianity replaced the gods of antiquity,
traditional Classical culture continued to flourish.
Greek and Latin were the languages of the
learned classes. Before Persian and Arab
invasions devastated much of their eastern
holdings, Byzantine territory extended as far as
south as Egypt. After a period of iconoclastic
uprising came to resolution in the 9th Century, a
second flowering of Byzantine culture arose and
lasted until Constantinople was temporarily
seized by Crusaders from the west in the 13th
Century. Christianity spread throughout the
Slavic lands to the north. In 1453, Constantinople
finally fell to the Ottoman Turks effectively
ending the Byzantine Empire after more than
1,100 years. Byzantine art and culture was the
epitome of luxury, encorporating the finest
elements from the artistic traditions of both the
East and the West. The Byzantine Divine Liturgy
was a symbolic re- enactment of Christ's
incarnation, teachings, and sacrifice. This Great
Mysterium - the redemption of humanity -
unfolded in an elaborate church ceremony that
included prayer readings, the singing of hymns,
and procession of clergy decorated in lavish
vestments, some of whom carried processional
crosses. Others swung censers gently back and
forth, filling the air with sweet smelling smoke.
The eucharistic bread was stamped with various
patterns. The ceremony stimulated all the senses
and engaged the mind, allowing the worshipper
to experience the divine.
- (CK.0117)
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