CHRIST PANTOCRATOR
84 X 45.5 cm. Encaustic.
6th century. Sinai.
Panel heavily overpainted but recently cleaned; cut
down. Deep purple mantle with shallow folding. Bejeweled book cover of
leather similar to contemporaries. Halo of gold leaf and punched. Full
frontal view and attitude of aloofness add to hieratic quality.
CHRIST PANTOCRATOR
35 x 21 cm. Encaustic.
6th century. Sinai.
Panel is in very poor state, warped. Much upper-layer
material missing. No halo present; similar to coins of Justinian II. Short
beard indicative of emphasis on humanity. Possible origin in Constantinople
on basis of garment folds and hand.
65.5
x 49.5 cm. Encaustic. 6th century.
Sinai.
Panel warped and split down center. Very hieratic composition; Mary in purple tunic and maphorion, seated in ochre throne; red shoes an imperial prerogative. Angels look to heavenly hand and beam. Christ in ochre tunic and mantle with gold highlights.
VIRGIN AND CHILD
35.5 x 25.5 cm. Encaustic. 6th century. Kiev.
Slightly contraposto Mary is clad in a purple maphorion, yellow ochre chiton and embroidered stole; Christ in purple garment. Gold leaf in striations and haloes. Panel has been cut down, perhaps considerably; possibly the original was full length.
JOHN
the FORERUNNER
46 x 25 cm. Encaustic. 6th century. Kiev.
The badly damaged John is flanked by Christ and Mary in clipea, and he holds a scroll, Old Testament style, with John 1:29. His visage is gaunt, but his gaze clear, befitting an ascetic prophet. An early form of Deesis, John looks and points at the Christ clipeus.
SAINT
PETER
93 x 53 cm. Encaustic. Early 7th century. Sinai.
The nearly life-sized bust is located in hemicyclical niche, and reflects consular diptychs in his carrying the cross-staff (scepter and keys (like a consular mappa). Three clipea at top echo consular triad of emperor, empress and co-consul. The left figure is unknown.
CHAIRETE
20 x 11.5 cm. Encaustic. 7th century? Sinai.
The scene is the meeting of Jesus with the women after his Resurrection. His right hand gesture is one of speech, and He holds a scroll in the left. He is clad in blue and chestnut. Mary Magdalen is at His feet, and His mother greets him directly, contrary to Scripture.
28.5 x 42 cm. Encaustic. 7th c. Kiev. The youthful 4th c. martyrs are clad in brown chitons with gold striations and wear their distinctive gold torques (maniakion). Style and technique point to origin in Constantinople.
CHRIST
ENTHRONED
76 x 53.5 cm. Encaustic. c. 7th century. Sinai.Christ's long-sleeved undergarment, himation and tunic are all ochre with chestnut folds. Gold striations have fallen off. Right hand blesses, left hlds Gospel book with John 8:12. Mix of Ancient of Days (white hair), Emmanuel (inscription) and Pantocrator imagery.
THE
ASCENSION
46 x 29.5 cm. Encaustic. 6th century. Sinai.
The panel is split vertically and stapled together. Mary, representing the Church, stands directly below the rising Christ in His mandorla with supporting angels, with Paul to her right. Iconography recalls the Monza ampullae from Palestine.
40 x 13 cm. Encaustic. 7th century. Sinai.
These two outer leaves of a triptych are joined by a wooden strip at the top. The Apostles reverse the colors of their tunics and mantles; Paul carries a book, and Peter a scroll, possibly a reference to the traditio legis. Bishops Nicholas and John wear the omophorion and carry books.
TRIPTYCH
WING: Front & Back
61 x 21 cm. Encaustic. 7th century. Sinai.
This single leaf shows the Prohet Elijah (Elias) on the front, and one half of a jeweled cross in a mandorla on the back. Elijah wears a brown himation and tunic with elaborate gold striations, and blesses with one hand, with scroll (3 Kings 19:10).
THE
CRUCIFIXION
36 x 23.5 cm. Tempera. 8th century. Sinai.
The panel is split and badly repaired, though the paint is generally well preserved. Christ is clad in a purple colobium, and blood flows from all wounds, as His eyes are closed in death. The good thief hangs between Christ's right hand and Mary, with John on His left, and diminutive dice-players beneath.
SAINTS
CHARITON & THEODOSIOS 22 x
9.5 cm. 8th/9th century. Tempera? Sinai.
The two Palestinian monks are rendered in a linear, decorated fashion. Their hands are in an attitude of prayer. The robes are treated differently, with the lower saint's dark purple one is highlighted in a classical way with white. Both wear black stoles.