Figurative and Symbolic Decorations in Middle and Late Byzantine Metalworks, lecture by Meryem Eser (Cumhuriyet University), Hacettepe University, November 7, 2019, 10:00 am

In Byzantine art, metal works are important as a rich group of objects in terms of their types, material used, and functions, and also by their iconographies; figurative and/or symbolic. These works, which are commonly produced in the capital Constantinople and in other centers of the empire, are also produced in the provinces, and have been the subject of scholarly publications ever since the emergence of Byzantine studies. Some of these objects kept in the museum collections are liturgical and for personal use, also mostly made of precious metals. However,some other objects such asthe ones used for lighting, measuring and weighing basically for daily life use, are also widely appreciated and studied. Moreover, artefacts from the archaeological museums in Turkey have been the subjects of many PhD and Master’s thesis on Byzantine art. The excavation finds also significantly contributed to thıs field of study. In this study, the iconographic repertoire is discussed without making a distinction between types and functions. Biblical scenes, the images of holy persons, emperors and empresses, and symbolic motifs are grouped and their relationship with the objects are discussed. For sure many of these issues have been covered in various studies. Yet, a holistic perspective is aimed here. A special emphasis is given to the choice of the iconography and reasons behind these. While doing so a through comparison with the other minor art examples from the Byzantine culture will also be provided.

The lecture is part of the Byzantine Seminar Series “Byzantium at Ankara,” an event organized and hosted in collaboration by Bilkent and Hacettepe University which will be held over the entire 2019/2020 academic year.