| Archangel ivory | |
|---|---|
 on display in the museum | |
| Material | ivory |
| Size | 428 x 143 mm and 9 mm thick |
| Created | AD 525-550 |
| Place | Constantinople |
| Present location | Room 41 of theBritish Museum,London |
TheArchangel ivory is the largest survivingByzantineivory panel, now in theBritish Museum inLondon. Dated to the early 6th century, it depicts anarchangel holding asceptre andimperial orb.
The archangel is usually identified asMichael, and the panel is assumed to have formed the right part of adiptych, with the lost left half possibly depicting EmperorJustinian (reigned 527–565),[1] to whom the archangel would be offering the insignia ofimperial power. The panel is the largest single piece of carved Byzantine ivory that survives,[1] at 42.9 × 14.3 cm (16 7/8 × 5 5/8 in).[2] It is, along with theBarberini ivory, one of two important surviving 6th-century Byzantine ivories attributed to the imperial workshops ofConstantinople under Justinian,[3] although the attribution is mostly assumed due to the size and craftsmanship.[1]
The figure is depicted in a highlyclassical style, wearing Greek or Roman garb and with a youthful face and proportions conforming to the ideals ofclassical sculpture. The architectural space, however, is more typically Byzantine in its bending of spatial logic: the archangel's feet are at the top of a staircase that recedes from the base of the columns, but his arms and wings are in front of the columns.[2] The feet are also not firmly planted on the steps.
There is a Greek inscription at the top, translated variously. Translated as "Receive this suppliant, despite his sinfulness", it might be an expression of humility on the part ofJustinian.[1] Interpreted as the beginning of an inscription that continues on the lost second panel, it may read, "Receive these gifts, and having learned the cause...".[2]
