The Emperor's Clothes, Old and New: Imperial Representation through Dress in Byzantium, lecture by Maria Parani (University of Cyprus), Anna Christidou Memorial Lecture, Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies, CEU, May 14, 2015, 5:30–7:15 pm

Dress is often described as a code or language used to convey messages relating to the bearer’s personal and social identity, status, ideology and tastes. As a communication code, dress is distinguished by immediacy, external appearance being one of the salient features by which a person is perceived by others within the context of social interaction. At the same time, it is also characterized by ambiguity, often implying rather than clearly stating, and with meanings that shift according to time, place and occasion, but also according to the identity of both the wearer and the viewer. This communicative function of dress becomes of central importance in the case of the ceremonial attire or the uniform used by various social groups to construct and to convey their identity and internal structure, and to give symbolic expression to the values and beliefs that unify them. The case of the ceremonial dress of the medieval Byzantine imperial court, with the emperor at its apex, is a fascinating case in point. Anna Christidou, as evidenced by her ground-breaking research on imperial portraits in Late Byzantine churches in Albania, was particularly sensitive to the ramifications of the depicted imperial dress and insignia in projecting an image of imperial power and presence. Acknowledging her interests and contribution, this paper in honor of her memory discusses imperial regalia and clothing as significative terms in a visual language, employed to communicate by allusion concepts related to the nature of Byzantine imperial authority and the virtues that (should) adorn the Byzantine emperor.

Maria G. Parani, D.Phil. (2000, Oxford University) is Associate Professor in Byzantine and Post Byzantine Art and Archaeology at the University of Cyprus, where she has been teaching since 2005. Her research interests comprise, among others, Byzantine imperial ceremonial and interregional exchange in the field of court culture, as well as Byzantine daily life and material culture, with a special focus on dress and accessories. A number of her publications concentrate on dress and jewelry as a mirror of cultural, social and personal identity in Byzantium.