The Ivory Carving Art of the Eastern Roman Empire
For thousands of years animal teeth and tusks have been used as a carving material by humans to make ivory, which is used to create items from small scale statues to boxes, manuscript covers, religious objects to fake teeth and even piano keys and furniture.
By Theo Mak Drummer, Singer, Songwriter and History geek
Most ivory came from elephants but several tusk-bearing species such as walruses and hippopotamuses have been commercially hunted, and as a result some species now have become endangered. Ivory hunting is now illegal and ivory trade is very restricted.
For many centuries Constantinople was Europe's most important center of commerce and trade and ivory was a rare and expensive material and one of the most sought-after products.
In the art of a Christian Greco-Roman world, the aim of their artwork was to elicit awe and reverence for Christianity and the ‘’otherworldliness’’, and it was favoured over naturalistic representations of the pre-Christianic times.
The use of elegant, floating figures in icon making and painting as well as the use of golden tiles for mosaic making was a statement of religious symbolism and was preferred over mimicking reality. A more abstract view of reality was favored.
One of the most famous of the surviving Byzantine mosaics of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople – the image of Christ Pantocrator on the walls of the upper southern gallery, Christ being flanked by the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist; circa 1261; 4.08 x 4.2 m - Dianelos Georgoudis
The Classical style was not abandoned or rarely seen when one visited Constantinople. The conflict between Christianity and Paganism in late antiquity is much debated; Modern historiography disputes that pagans were violently Christianized on a wide scale, arguing that this older interpretation is founded on the exaggerations of Christian authors of the late antiquity.
The transition from the old religion to the new did not happen overnight. Over the centuries there had been opponents of the old religion, as well as patrons. Many aspects of the old faith found their way into Christianity. Yes, there were disasters, but there were also times of preserving and cherishing old traditions and heritage. So, for better or worse (!) there was some kind of admixture in the same simple logic that my yiayia (grandmother) in Mani Peloponnese, during my summer holidays as a kid was asking me if I would like her to cook for me σφογγατο, ᾽sfoggato᾽ (Medieval Greek) instead of ομελετα, ᾽omeleta᾽ omelette (modern Greek). A simple example of where the old meets the new. It is always fascinating.
Until the shocking sack and plunder of the city in 1204 by their fellow Christian Crusaders of the 4th Crusade, Constantinople was a ‘’museum’’ that contained antique bronze and marble sculptures in full view and blended in complete harmony with the newer Christian tradition.
The Horses Of Saint Mark the horses were displayed at the Hippodrome of Constantinople until they were looted by Venetian forces and the crusaders of the 4th Crusade during the sack of Constantinople of 1204. The horses were then transported and placed on the facade of St Mark's Basilica in Venice. The sculptures date from classical antiquity and have been implausibly attributed to the 4th century BC Greek sculptor Lysippos.
Magnificent statues and elaborate pompous busts ceased to be made by artists but the old art coexisted with the new mentalities and was expressed by the new sculptures which are now of a limited scale, and perhaps indicated that the enormous marble busts for the sake of vanity can be considered a defect of character? A lack of humility? Ivory was the material medium of this expression. Aγαλματοποιοια (agalmatopoiía) is the art and process of producing sculpture but this time on a smaller scale and by using ivory instead of marble. The ivory carving art depicts the continuation of the late Hellenistic-Roman composition with the new Christian Roman Empire. The carvings have a beautiful transitional character, which is very interesting precisely because it is transient. Let’s have a look! 🤗
This is one of the largest surviving ivories from the Byzantine Empire. It comes from a hinged 2-leaf diptych, possibly used as a writing table. It shows an archangel holding an orb and sceptre. The style of his drapery is classical, but the Christian subject matter is Byzantine. Ancient.eu
Ariadne, East Roman empress, daughter of Leo I, wife of Zeno. AKGImages
Classical literature and classical images were preserved throughout the Byzantine period. The erotes who dance and wage mock battles on the sides of this casket and tame a female panther on the lid recall imagery associated with the ancient pagan cult of the god Dionysos. Metmuseum.org
The Barberini ivory is a Byzantine ivory leaf from an imperial diptych dating from Late Antiquity, now in the Louvre in Paris. It represents the emperor as triumphant victor. It is generally dated from the first half of the 6th century and is attributed to an imperial workshop in Constantinople, while the emperor is usually identified as Justinian, or possibly Anastasius I or Zeno. Barberini Ivory
Ivory diptych with personifications of Rome and Constantinople (c. 5th century)
At Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna The Byzantine Legacy
The ivory casket in the treasury of the Cathedral of Troyes appears to have been brought by Jean Langlois, bishop of the city, after the sack of Constantinople in 1204. It testifies to a period of confrontation between the Western world and the Byzantine Empire at the time of the Crusades. The decoration of the casket provides outstanding evidence of both direct and indirect contact between Byzantium and China, and is an excellent example of how imperial ideology was materialised in artistic production. Warfare.6te
Icon with the Virgin and Child, carved mid-10th–11th century
Byzantine; Probably made in Constantinople ipernity.com
The Trier Adventus Ivory or the Translation of Relics Ivory is an artwork in the Trier Cathedral Treasury in Trier, Germany. The 4th-century relief is a piece of ivory carving from the Byzantine Empire. It was acquired by the Cathedral of Trier in 1844. Trier Ivory
Byzantine ivory box 9th-12th century Evas’ historical blog
The Forty Martyrs of Sebaste, 10th century AD, ivory relief panel from Constantinople, Museum für Byzantinische Kunst, BODE Museum, Berlin teachercurator.com
Last Judgment ivory Constantinople, 11th century ivory panel, height 15.1 cm (6 inches), width 21.4 cm (8.4") London, Victoria and Albert Museum kornbluthphoto
And... Furniture!
Throne of Archbishop Maximian of Ravenna, Constantinople or Alexandria, 545–553AD.
Photo 1) front view photo 2) The Story of Joseph on the right hand side of the throne warfare.6te
And of course they were using other materials for furniture like wood, metal, jewels, gold and silver! designergirlee 👇
During its almost one thousand year span, the Byzantine era influenced Islamic architecture, the art and architecture of the Carolingian Renaissance, Norman architecture, Gothic architecture, and the International Gothic style. When the Turkish Ottoman Empire conquered Constantinople in 1453, renaming it Istanbul, the Byzantine Empire came to an end. Nonetheless the Byzantine style continued to be employed in Greece and in Eastern Europe and Russia, where a "Russo-Byzantine" style developed in architecture. theartstory.org