Throne of Maximian

The Maximianskathedra is a bishop's throne ( Cathedra ) from the 6th century, the Arcivescovile located in the Museo is in Ravenna. He is assigned to the Bishop Maximian of Ravenna and is completely decorated with ivory tablets, show the Old Testament and New Testament representations.

History

Cathedra in the Venetian historical work mentioned chronicum Venetum the 9th and 10th century | the first time the Cathedra is. According to this the bishop's throne was once a gift from the Doge of Venice Pietro II Orseolo to the then Emperor Otto III.

After Otto III. was crowned by Pope Gregory V as emperor in 996, he made several Italian campaigns. Otto maintained relations with the ruling doge of Venice, Pietro II Orseolo. 1001 travels of the Emperor to Italy again, there were a number of armed conflicts. Finally he went to Ravenna, leaving there the Doge two precious gold work forward. In return, Pietro Orseolo instructed the deacon John, Otto III. a cathedra to hand over ivory. A short time later the young emperor died. The cathedra remained in all probability in Ravenna, but this is not guaranteed.

Other sources can be found only in 1664 in the art-loving Bishop Gerolamo Fabri. This tells of an ancient episcopal throne of ivory, provided with biblical carvings. Likewise, the Roman archaeologist Giovanni Giustino Ciampini († 1689) writes about a neglected bishopric. Ciampini even speaks of a restoration. However, until 1919 took it the cathedra in the course of further work-ups from oblivion and put it on in the Archbishop's Palace. Here we noticed a large number of missing images. In the following decades, it was possible to integrate some of the long forgotten ivory plates back into the work of art, so that in 1956 was carried out a second restoration. During the revision and reconstruction of the original wooden facing many plates were replaced with Plexiglas. Of the former 39 panels are only 27 survived. Today the Maximianskathedra in Ravenna Museo Arcivescovile be visited.

A conspicuous feature of the historical traditions is the absence of any mention of this chair in the writings of late antiquity clergy Agnellus of Ravenna. At no point in his Liber Pontificalis he mentions a work of art such art. This can have various reasons, so it could, for example, have acted at the Venetian sources to another cathedra. Can not exclude the possibility that he never got to face today because it was stored in a different place.

Construction

When the Chair is a chair-like seat in a box shape that rests on seven quadrangular feet. The seated person leaned to a slightly rounded backrest, which ranged up to shoulder height. This is followed by two armrests. At the corners of the seat in each protrudes a post in the height. Those are the face side, surmounted by a flattened knob.

Inside is the backbone of the Chair of ebony wood that is consistently busy with illustrated ivory plates. Outer and inner surfaces of the backrest adorn New Testament representations. In contrast decorate vertically ten ( five on each side) Old Testament Scenes cheeks matches the armrests. At the front, the four Evangelists and John the Baptist are depicted. Some of the missing figures have been replaced for the sake of the overall impression of unadorned wood panels that you previously covered it with parchment. The seat stands 0.58 m in height, backrest rises by 0.64 m over it. The arm rests on the sides close to 0.18 m, the seat between them is 0.62 m wide.

Iconography

Monogram

After Gerolamo Fabri had brought the cathedra in the 17th century from oblivion, the question presented by the membership. An important note to this figure monogram the face side. A man named Mario Fiorentini took on its first decipherment. He came to the conclusion that the cathedra was assigned to the Bishop Maximian of Ravenna. Fiorentini deciphered the monogram as Maximianus Episcopus. This contrasts with the opinion of Francois Martroyes and the Croatian archaeologists Frane Bulić. Martroye sees the Origin of the Chair in Dalmatia. This he attributes to the conquest of Dalmatia by the doge Pietro II Orseolo. It represented a welcome booty from the ruins of Salona, and served as a gift to Emperor Otto III. As in Salona, the Bishop Maximus I in the 4th century performed his job, came for Martroye only the translation Maximus Salonae Eps in question. The Don Fane Bulic joins largely, but not orders the Chair of St Maximus I, but the there is also based Maximus II to. He lived about a century later and died in 615, however, deciphering Both are the result of analysis error. Martroye and Bulic see at the bottom of the "X " in the monogram erroneously a bar. This was the adoption of an "L" result. However, the length of this beam is too low. In addition, both mappings are not durable due to stylistic tests.

Consequently, attempts were made to find in Ravenna itself an indication of the affiliation of monogram. After some comparisons, it was found that only the bishop Maximian was left as the sole caregiver. In one of the main sources for the history of Ravenna, the " Liber Pontificalis Ecclesiae Rave Nati " Agnellus describes the life of Maximian. The strong activity Maximian as a patron, it suggests quite possible that it is the monogram is his. A final proof of his membership brought the comparison with similar initials, which were attributed to him and could be verified in accordance with Agnellus.

Face side and ornamentation

The face side of the Chair of shows like the cheeks and the back rest, ivory panels depicting Christian themes. It shows the four Evangelists, in the middle of which John the Baptist is located. Each of the five saints wearing a long pallium, raised his right arm and hand selbige a blessing or speech gesture and holding in his left hand concealed a book of Gospels. Except here is John. He has a special position to in this scene. He holds a flat disc in the air. It bears the image of a lamb. It is symbolic of God's Son Jesus Christ dar.

Origin

One of the most discussed questions is on the origin. That answer seems incessantly here takes place in several areas of its reasoning. Firstly, as an allocation of further ivories would be possible. Secondly, the decryption is a significant clue in the iconographic art development. Furthermore, they can play an important role in the representation of the cultural context. Is it the result of east - or west- Roman workmanship? To clarify this question, researchers analyzed both the iconography and the plates itself.

Looking at the plates of the saints, it is noticeable that these were manufactured in different dimensions. Both the two outer and the middle plate are larger than the other proportioned narrower panels. The change of width and narrowness is subject to a scheme which can be found on small Asian column sarcophagi. Therefore corresponds to an eastern trend. Furthermore, in the segmental arches behind the heads of the saints mussels are visible. The fact that the closure can not be seen, the shell output, however, is clearly seen, refers to the use of the east, above all Byzantine art. In addition to the face side, the representations of the biblical cycles provide stylistic clues to their origin. The panels are worked out very vividly. Compared with the Konsulardiptycha of the 6th century, the more stressed garb and the individual characteristics of the faces are eye-catching. This detail is characteristic of the work of the Byzantine or Eastern art.

Besides the analysis of the sitter has been investigated the individual panels in the restorations. It was found on the back of the cheek plates Greek counters. This results in two things. First, could find that several artists were involved in the production, and secondly, the use of counters in the Byzantine Empire until in late antiquity was common. Just Konstantin Opel made ​​it one of the centers. Overall, the opinion has prevailed that the Maximianskathedra was made in an ivory workshop of the late antique Constantinople in research.

Chronological classification

Documented is only the mention of a Elfenbeinkathedra known. These traditions, which the work of art with the Venetian Doge Pietro II Orseolo and Emperor Otto III. into communication point in time to 1001. However, it is not established that the chair is also created in that phase. The ability of a previous production remains open. As research schriftkundlich not progressed, she turned to the artistic representations of the Chair. Especially the monogram and the biblical cycles were the focus here. Thus the Old Testament series of pictures is dated to the 5th century iconography. After Morath the 6th century was a time in the east of the late antique world had (especially Konstantin Opel ) to cope with a mental restlessness Christological disputes. To counteract this, you verbildlichte the people, among other things the life of Jesus and Mary.

An investigation of the face side, also provided some clues. So it then are the four Gospels, which make a stylistic classification possible. The fonts marked with an Gemmenkreuz be made ​​in form and presentation since the 5th century. However, the most important element for the dating of the Chair is the monogram of Maximian. Assuming the correctness of the translation as Maximianus Episcopus, and that the chair was given to his time in order, so can define the time frame considerably. Maximian held in the years 546-556 the office of bishop. Thus, the monogram provides a reference in this period. Considering now even the translation in Episcopus, so you could the period ( under great title) even in his first four years in office as a bishop ( 546-550 ) lay .. Due to the above services mentioned above arguments and investigations, the research dates the Maximianskathedra to the beginning of 50s of the 6th century.