Original scientific paper
The ninth Century Great Moravian figural Motifs of Orantes
Martin Vančo
; The Institute of Art History Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava
Abstract
The study presents new finds of gilded copper plaques with figural motifs depicting orantes, which were discovered at the Great Moravian Bojná I-“Valy” hillfort in Slovakia. The plaques, together with the collection of belt endings excavated at the Great Moravian “Valy” hillfort near Mikulčice (Moravia, Czech Republic), are studied using the comparative and iconographic analysis. The author concludes that Moravian belt endings were produced in a manner similar to Carolingian belt endings from the second third of the ninth century, but the style of figural decorations of orantes, as well as that of the plaques from Bojná, resembles Byzantine patterns. They are decorated by angels of various orders related to the oldest preserved Byzantine Homilies of Gregory of Nazianzus of the ninth century. These orders of angels were also inspired by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite writing on the “Celestial Hierarchy”. Both written documents were very popular in the Constantinople court in the latter half of the ninth century. The study concludes that both complexes of Great Moravian artistic craft are closely connected to the Byzantine mission of Sts. Constantine-Cyril and Methodius.
Keywords
Great Moravia; orans; orders of angels; belt endings; Byzantine coinage; Homilies of Gregory of Nazianzus; Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite
Hrčak ID:
81337
URI
Publication date:
14.10.2008.
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