This item is made up of three distinct parts from three separate time periods. The rock crystal edifice, the votive crown, and the figure of the Virgin Mary. They have been united as unit since at least the inventory of 1325. The rock-crystal…
This bust portrait of the archangel Michael also features two medallion portraits in enamel of St Simon at left and Christ at right. The icon appears in the 1325 inventory.
This Egyptian Fatimid rock-crystal ewer features carved reliefs of arabesques and palmettes, seated lions, and additional foliate motifs. A Kufic inscription reads "The blessing of God on the imam al-Aziz bi'llah." The gold mount is much later, and…
This object is often discussed and debated by scholars, and is one of the most famous items brought to Venice after the sack of Constantinople in 1204. The seven medallions show figures from mythology, and both the interior of the rim and the…
The inscription along the outer rim of this glass lamp reads (in translation from the original Greek): "Saint Panteleimon, protect thy servant, Zacharias, Archbishop of Iberia, Amen." Iberia, in this case, refers to Georgia.
This dark puple-blue glass bucket shows images of Dionysiac scenes. Scholars have debated the date of its creation, offering a range from the 4th century to the 6th or 7th, and with a Byzantine origin for these later dates.
Looted from the Monastery of Stoudios in Constantinople, this icon of the Virgin was brought to Venice by Enrico Dandolo. This transfer was seen by some Venetians as representative of the transference of God's favor and blessing from Constantinople…
Made in Constantinople in the late 11th to early 12th century, this icon first appears in the inventory of San Marco in 1325, but most likely came to Venice after the sack of Constantinople in 1204. The figure of Michael is identified by the roundels…
This icon is made up of several previously unrelated elements of Byzantine artistry, all set within a Venetian filigree panel. The central lapis medallion represents one of just a few examples of Byzantine hard-stone that has been inlaid with gold.…
Cut from a single block of marble, an inscription reads: "In fulfillment of a vow and for the salvation of the most glorious Anastasia." The style of the ciborium supports a date of the 6th century, which has allowed it to be identified with a noble…