This ivory diptych pairs Adam’s primordial harmony with Saint Paul’s miraculous acts, presenting a visual argument of restored balance, where faith overcomes disorder, reflecting theological meaning and late Roman cultural tensions.
Late Antique Ivory Pyxis
This Late Antique ivory pyxis, carved in Egypt, blends Greek mythological scenes with refined craftsmanship, reflecting a transitional era where classical traditions endured within a changing cultural and religious landscape.
The Consular Diptych of Anicius Faustus Albinus Basilius
The Consular Diptych of Anicius Faustus Albinus Basilius (541 AD) exemplifies late antique political symbolism, uniting Roman civic tradition and Christian imagery through ivory reliefs that celebrate authority, spectacle, and imperial continuity.
Empress Ariadne
Luxury Byzantine ivory plaques, attributed to Empress Ariadne, reveal Constantinople’s fusion of imperial power and Christian symbolism, linking court ideology with exquisite artistry preserved today in Florence and Vienna collections.
St John the Baptist and Four Saints
Discover the Ivory Plaque of St John the Baptist and Four Saints—a masterful Byzantine work reflecting devotion, symbolism, and the enduring legacy of Saint John the Baptist.
Byzantine Ivory Caskets
The Musée de Cluny’s Byzantine ivory casket — Heracles, mythological battles, and chariot races exquisitely carved — bridges classical antiquity and medieval Byzantine aristocratic splendour magnificently.
At Cluny vis-à-vis Ariadne
This Byzantine ivory from Constantinople shows Ariadne amid Dionysiac figures, likely from luxury furniture, now at the Musée de Cluny, reflecting myth, refinement, and classical themes reinterpreted in Late Antiquity.
Consul Areobindus Dagalaifus Areobindus
At the Cluny Museum, the ivory diptych of Consul Areobindus captures ceremonial power, intricate artistry, and Byzantine spectacle, linking personal memory with the enduring legacy of late Roman political symbolism.
The Hodegetria Plaque
The Hodegetria ivory and its related Louvre panel reveal the refined elegance of 10th-century Byzantine carving, where sacred figures, delicate drapery, and restrained composition embody aristocratic devotion and the serene spiritual authority of the Deësis tradition.
Triptych Leaf with St. Constantine
Constantine the Great is honored through a 10th-century ivory triptych leaf from Dumbarton Oaks, portraying him as both imperial ruler and Christian saint, embodying enduring authority and faith.