The Offering Figure on the Imperial Pyxis at Dumbarton Oaks: Origin and Legacy of the Gift of the Urban Model
Capitolo
Data di Pubblicazione:
2023
Citazione:
The Offering Figure on the Imperial Pyxis at Dumbarton Oaks: Origin and Legacy of the Gift of the Urban Model / A. Torno Ginnasi - In: Heritage / [a cura di] M.B. Panov. - Skopje : Institute of National History, 2023. - ISBN 9786084981862. - pp. 244-253 (( Intervento presentato al 10. convegno Symposium on Byzantine and Medieval Studies "Days of Justinian I" tenutosi a Skopje nel 2022.
Abstract:
The Byzantine ivory pyxis at Dumbarton Oaks shows a procession
of musicians and dancers culminating in a youth offering the model of a
city to an imperial group. Among the main interpretations of the scene, Kurt
Weitzmann proposed the offering of Constantinople to the Kantakouzenos
family, whereas Nicolas Oikonomides opted for the donation of Thessaloniki
to John VII Palaiologos as the reflection of the political agreement with
Manuel II in 1403. These readings aside, the gift of a fortified element alludes
to the tribute of a city to a sovereign, who takes over its defense. Coins and
sculptures of the 3rd century AD reveal the origin of the iconographic theme in
a broader sense, showing images of tychai and other personifications holding
architectural models. In the Byzantine world, besides literary occurrences
and the mosaic of Constantine the Great in Hagia Sophia, 13th century coins
struck in Thessaloniki took on the visual legacy of the type. The further step
was the codification of the iconic portrait of the saint holding the urban
model and acting as the city’s patron, as testified by Western medieval art and
numismatics. The scene on the Dumbarton Oaks pyxis attests the survival
of a widespread image that has its roots in antiquity, as revealed also by the
insertion of a peacock under the architectural model.
Tipologia IRIS:
03 - Contributo in volume
Elenco autori:
A. Torno Ginnasi
Link alla scheda completa:
Titolo del libro:
Heritage