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Formal Ornament on late Roman and early Byzantine Silver1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 August 2013

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Extract

The silver plate of the late Roman and early Byzantine period is characterised by formal engraved ornament of an unusual and easily recognisable kind. The motives used in this ornament consisted at first of the quatre foil diaper, several forms of rosette, strips of tongue pattern, heart-shaped leaves, and groups of leaves variously arranged. In later examples the characteristic motive is a pattern of palmettes, each unit joined to the next by the smallest side leaf, which surrounds a central panel or in one case (no. 6 infra) ornaments the body of a round vessel. This last stage has been dealt with by Matzulewitch; but as the examples of this type of plate have never been studied as a whole, they are collected here.

Type
Research Article
Information
Papers of the British School at Rome , Volume 15 , November 1939 , pp. 33 - 41
Copyright
Copyright © British School at Rome 1939

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References

2 Byzantinische Antike, 118 ff.

3 Dated by Ebert (op. cit., 170) to the fourth century.

4 The silver amphora from Peresčepina (Matzulewitch, op. cit., pl. 29, fig. 24) shews a contemporary and similar version of the motive.

5 Hampel, Der Goldfund von Nagy-Szent-Miklos, figs. 1, 8–9, 12–13.

6 Arneth, Die Gold und Silber Monumente, 81, no. 115, pl. 5, x; Matzulewitch, op. cit., 118; Jakimowicz, , Bulletin Archeologique Polonaise, XII, 1933, 127Google Scholar (French Summary).

7 Op. cit., 133.

8 Op. cit., 5.

9 See especially Ridgeway, op. cit.

10 Walters, op. cit., 39, no. 147.

11 Curle, op. cit., 13, no. 1. See also Matzulewitch, Une Sépulture d'un Roi Barbare en Europe Orientate, 119 ff., pls. 1–6.

12 Wheeler, Catalogues of the London Museum, no. 3, 113 ff.

13 Hampel, , Alterthümer des frühen Mittelalters, II, 44, III, pl. 37Google Scholar: Archaeologiai Ertesitö, 1885, 93.

14 Hampel, , op. cit. II, 39–40Google Scholar, III, pls. 32–53: Archaeologiai Ertesitö, 1889, 305–20: Odobesco, , op. cit., II, fig. 22Google Scholar.

15 Pharmakowsky, op. cit., fig. 8.

16 Zahn, , Amtliche Berichte, XXXVIII, 1917, col. 263ff.Google Scholar: Peirce-Tyler, , op. cit., I, 55, pls. 85, 59Google Scholar.

17 Garrucci, , Storia dell' Arte Cristiana, VI, pl. 460Google Scholar: Odobesco, , op. cit., II, fig. 18Google Scholar: Zahn, op. cit.

18 On metal-work, Sarre, Die Kunst des Alten Persiens, pls. 116, 118, 127, 131: Orbeli-Trever, L'Argenterie Sassanide, pls. 15, 22, 28–9, 32, 39, 45, 64, 69. On textiles, von Falke, Kunstgeschichte der Seidenweberei, pl. 98.

19 A pottery fragment of the third century B.C. (Wilpert, Die Papstgräber, 67, fig. 56) shows how this took place; the stem of the wreath has been omitted, and only the eaves remain. For examples of the row of leaves, see Gerhard, Etruskische Spiegel, pls. XCVI, CCCLXXXVIII, CDXIV, CDXXIX: Lane, Journal of Hellenic Studies, 1937, 220 ff., pl. VII: Weege, Etruskische Malerei, pl. 5. For Roman examples, a mosaic panel in the Museum at Nîmes: a similar motive, explained in the text as a row of rose flowers, is in Wilpert, Pitture delle Catocombe Romane, pl. 52(2). See also Goodyear, Grammar of the Lotus, 161–63.

20 E.g. the examples in the Esquiline Treasure; Dalton, op. cit., 71–2.

21 Op. cit., 217–18.

22 Scheltema, Altnordische Kunst, 1923, 163–6: Riegl, Spätrömische Kunstindustrie, 1927, 291 ff.: Werner, , Jahreshefte des Osterreichischen Archäologischen Institutes, XXVI, 1930, 53 ff.Google Scholar: Behrens, Festschrift Karl Schumacher, 1930, 285 ff.

23 Riegl, op. cit., 296, fig. 81.

24 Ibid., 308.

25 Op. cit., 294.

26 Pharmakowsky, op. cit., 60: Delbrück, Spätantike Kaiserporträts, 144–7, pls. 55–6.

27 Cf. Riegl, op. cit., 307, on the last period ‘Die Berge sich abflachen,’ etc.

28 E.g. Walters, op. cit., nos. 131–3 (Chatuzange), 151, 154–5 (Chaource): Reinach, Bosphore Cimmerien, 81, pls. XXX–II (the Rhescuporis dish).

29 Walters, op. cit., 43,no. 168, pl. XXVIII (as no. 155).

30 Kisa, , Bonner Jahrbücher, XCIX, 1896, 23Google Scholar, note 2: Lindenschmidt, , Alterthümer unser Heidnischer Vorzeit, V, pl. 57Google Scholar: Rosenberg, , Niello zum Jahr 1000, 36 f.Google Scholar: Couissin, Les Armes Romaines, 490, fig. 183.

31 Grempler, Der Zweite und Dritte Fund aus Sackrau, p. 12, pl. VII, no. 8: Lindenschmidt, , op. cit., IV, pl. 57 (text)Google Scholar.

32 Matzulewitch, op. cit., 136.

33 Antioch on the Orontes, II, Catalogue of Mosaics.

34 Filow, op. cit., 72, n. I ‘approximately 6th century.’

35 See de Vogué, La Syrie Centrale, 1865, esp. pls. 42, 46, 62, 76: Cabrol, Dictionnaire, art. ‘Chrisme.’

36 On the back of which are stamps dated by Matzule witch to the second half of the sixth century.

37 See also British Museum Quarterly, xiii, 118–26.