Reconstructing the Reality of Images: Byzantine Material Culture and Religious Iconography (Medieval Mediterranean, 41)

Parani, Maria G.

ISBN 10: 9004124624 / ISBN 13: 9789004124622

Published by Leiden : Brill, 2002

About this Item

xxxviii, 417 pages, 244 pages of plates : illustrations ; 25 cm. Contents: Ch. 1. Imperial Costume -- Ch. 2. Official and Aristocratic Costume -- Ch. 3. Military Costume -- Ch. 4. Furniture and Furnishings -- Ch. 5. Implements -- Ch. 6. Commentary -- App. 1. Monasteries and Churches Mentioned in the Text and the Captions of the Plates -- App. 2. Portraits of Byzantine Emperors and Their Families (Ninth to Fifteenth Centuries) -- App. 3. Portraits of Byzantine Officials, Aristocrats, and Commoners (Tenth to Fifteenth Centuries).

Seller Inventory # hk119

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Reconstructing the Reality of Images: Byzantine Material Culture and Religious Iconography (Medieval Mediterranean, 41)
• Publisher: Leiden : Brill
• Publication Date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 9004124624
• ISBN 13: 9789004124622
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: New
• Seller catalogs:
  • Art
  • Christianity
  • European History

About this title

Synopsis

This volume examines the occurrence of secular contemporary artefacts (realia) in Middle and Late Byzantine religious painting. It explores the potential of Byzantine art as a source of information on material culture and inquires into the semiotic function of realia in religious pictorial contexts.
The first part of the book comprises five case studies dedicated to imperial, official, aristocratic, and military dress, furniture, furnishings, and implements. The creative processes that led to the introduction of realia into religious iconography are discussed in the commentary.
The book conveys a wealth of information especially on Byzantine dress and provides valuable new insights into the workings of Byzantine art. It is an original and thorough investigation of a fascinating, yet surprisingly little-studied subject.

About the Author

Maria G. Parani, Ph.D. in Archaeology, University of Oxford (1999), is interested in the study of Byzantine material culture. She has published articles on Byzantine ceremonial dress and bridal costume.