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Maria Parani

University of Cyprus, Archaeological Research Unit, Faculty Member

University of Cyprus, History and Archaeology, Faculty Member

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Phone: +357 22893565
Address: University of Cyprus
Department of History and Archaeology / Archaeological Research Unit
P.O. Box 20537
Nicosia 1678
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Papers by Maria Parani

“Byzantine identity and dress”

Byzantine Dress: A Guide, ed. J. Ball (London and New York: Routledge), 3-36., 2025

Self-identified Byzantines were aware of their dress as distinctive and distinct from that of the... more Self-identified Byzantines were aware of their dress as distinctive and distinct from that of the foreign other. What made this dress ‘Byzantine,’ i.e., expressive of a Byzantine ethnic or cultural identity, however, is difficult to define. This is not surprising when one considers the ambiguity and mutability of Byzantine identity, on the one hand, and the stunning diversity in form and function of Byzantine dress, on the other, over a period coeval with the Empire's millennial existence. Still, by exploring certain of the dress's features that are associated with (a) the articulation and presentation of the human body, (b) the construction and display of similarity and difference, and (c) the adherence to tradition and the incorporation of change, one is able to trace a number of general characteristics and tendencies that were culturally circumscribed and expressive of the complexities that defined Byzantine society, thus endowing the dress in question with what may be described as its Byzantine quality. This same exploration suggests that the aspects of an overarching Byzantine identity that were being communicated through dress varied depending on the wearer's gender, an observation that opens up alternative ways of looking at the challenging question of Byzantine identity and dress.

Negotiating Gender Identity through the Visual Arts

The Routledge Handbook on Gender and Sexuality in Byzantium, ed. M. Meyer and Ch. Messis (New York and London: Routledge) , 2024

The visual arts have much to contribute to the exploration of the construction and expression of ... more The visual arts have much to contribute to the exploration of the construction and expression of gender identity in Byzantium. The present chapter focuses on one particular category of visual evidence, Byzantine portraiture, in order to draw attention to both its potential and its limitations in this kind of enquiry. Through the discussion of four portraits of men, women, and one eunuch, selected from different periods and geographical regions within the Byzantine Empire, an image of complexity emerges. Byzantine individuals are revealed as striving for self-determination and claiming agency within the established boundaries of Byzantine gender norms, often by internalising and exploiting them rather than by openly defying them. On the other hand, our inability to identify and, thus, include Byzantine portraits of nonconforming, trans, or genderqueer individuals in the discussion demonstrates that we still have a long way to go in the study and understanding of gender identity in Byzantium.

Clothes maketh the emperor? Embodying and Performing Imperial Ideology in Byzantium through Dress

Staging the Ruler’s Body in Medieval Cultures: A Comparative Perspective”, ed. M. Bacci, G. Grigoryan Savary, and M. Studer-Karlen, Turnhout: Brepols, 2023

In Byzantium, clothes turned a man into an all-powerful emperor and ensured that anyone who saw h... more In Byzantium, clothes turned a man into an all-powerful emperor and ensured that anyone who saw him recognized him as such. But it was the man in the clothes, as well as the state behind the man, that gave them their transformative potency. If either the man or the state proved inadequate to support and fulfil the claims made by the clothes, then those same clothes were the unmaking of the emperor, becoming either the attire of the pompous tyrant or that of the unmanly weakling.

“Images of Breastfeeding in Early Byzantine Art: Form – Context – Function”

Breastfeeding and Mothering in Antiquity and Early Byzantium, ed. S. Constantinou and A. Skouroumouni-Stavrinou, London: Routledge , 2023

Compared to early representations of the Virgin Mary suckling the baby Jesus, images of ordinary,... more Compared to early representations of the Virgin Mary suckling the baby Jesus, images of ordinary, human women breastfeeding in early Byzantine art have received little attention. This chapter attempts to redress this situation by identifying and contextualizing such images dating from the fourth down to the seventh century AD. What becomes apparent from this first survey of the material is that, while in real life breastfeeding was an act as common as it was necessary, it was rarely represented in art. Still, the theme was introduced into a variety of media, and in diverse settings, funerary, secular, and religious. Furthermore, rather than being treated as a simple genre scene, it appears to have served a symbolic or an allegorical function, whether to identify a woman as a mother in funerary portraiture, to promote dynastic claims on imperial coinage, or to articulate ideas about fertility, nurture, vulnerability, dependency, and protection in both private and public contexts. Given its semiotic potential, the rarity of its occurrence in early Byzantine art remains a puzzle, though some thoughts on the artistic, social, and religious factors that may have informed this treatment are offered at the end in lieu of a conclusion.

"On the fringe. The painted ornament of the Holy Tinity chapel at Koutsovendēs, Cyprus"

Zograf 44, pp. 59-78, 2020

The paper explores the painted ornament of the Holy Trinity chapel at the monastery of Saint John... more The paper explores the painted ornament of the Holy Trinity chapel at the monastery of Saint John Chrysostom Koutsovendēs in Cyprus, founded by Eumathios Philokalēs (ca. 1100). When compared to that of other early Komnenian monuments on the island, the painted ornament at Holy Trinity stands out for its intricacy, diversity, and high-quality of execution, while its sophistication is demonstrated to be in keeping with the ambitious and erudite character of the painted ensemble as a whole. Not least, rather than being on the fringe, the painted ornament appears to have been fully integrated into the iconographic programme of the chapel, reiterating through metaphor the patron’s hope for salvation.

Keywords: painted ornament, disk symbolism, cross-and-star pattern, Islamic glazed tiles, early Komnenian painting, Koutsovendēs Monastery, Byzantine Cyprus

With B. Pitarakis and J.-M. Spieser, “Artefacts and Raw Materials in Byzantine Archival Documents (ByzAD): A New Electronic Resource for the Study of Byzantine Material Culture,” in Lire les Archives de l’Athos, ed. O. Delouis and K. Smyrlis = Travaux et mémoires 23/2 (Paris, 2019), 419-445.

by Maria Parani and Jean-Michel Spieser

This paper presents a new electronic resource, ByzAD, which aims to advance the study of Byzantin... more This paper presents a new electronic resource, ByzAD, which aims to advance the study of Byzantine material culture by collecting and interpreting references to raw materials and religious and secular artefacts found in Greek Byzantine archival documents. These include private and public acts, as well as monastic typika and inventories (10th – 15th century). The presentation is divided into three sections. The first section briefly outlines the structure and contents of ByzAD and discusses the potential contribution of the documentary evidence – now easily accessed thanks to ByzAD – in addressing questions related to the social and personal “lives” of artefacts. Indeed, certain objects appear to have served a more complex role than that of simple
asset or commodity for their owners and users. The second section focuses on metalwork, a facet of Byzantine material culture which is very well represented in the database, and surveys the documents’ information on its various daily uses as well as on types of materials and techniques. The exceptional usefulness of ByzAD in elucidating the meaning of obscure terms is shown in the discussion of certain technical words related to metalwork. The contribution of ByzAD
in the disambiguation of Byzantine technical vocabulary is further illustrated in the third and final section, where all the difficult or rare technical terms that are encountered in ByzAD are collected and listed in alphabetical order, accompanied by a brief definition and commentary.

“Curtains in the Middle and Late Byzantine House,” in Catalogue of the Textiles in the Dumbarton Oaks Byzantine Collection, ed. Gudrun Bühl and Elizabeth Dospěl Williams (Washington, DC, 2019).

“Experiencing miraculous icons in Byzantium: the examples of the icon of the ‘Usual Miracle’ and the Hodegetria in Constantinople”

In Visibilité et présence de l’image dans l’espace ecclésial. Byzance et Moyen Âge occidental, ed. S. Brodbeck and A.-O. Poilpré, with the assistance of M. Stavrou, Byzantina Sorbonensia 30 (Paris: Éditions de la Sorbonne), 2019

Les opinions exprimées dans cet ouvrage n'engagent que leurs auteurs.

"Lamps"

The Oxford Handbook of Early Christian Archaeology, eds. William R. Caraher, Thomas W. Davis, and David K. Pettegrew, 2019

Lamps with Christian imagery are among the earliest and most easily identifiable material witness... more Lamps with Christian imagery are among the earliest and most easily identifiable material witnesses to early Christian communities in the Roman Empire, but lamps employed by Christians were not confined to those adorned with religious images and symbols. This chapter presents an overview of the types of clay, metal, and glass lamps
owned and used by Christians and discusses their functions in daily, funerary, ecclesiastical, and other ritual contexts. Continuities with and departures from earlier Roman practices are highlighted, while the emergence of a specifically Christian decorative repertory is associated both with the wish of early Christians to express their distinct religious identity in material terms and with the gradual elaboration of a Christian symbolism of light. The need for more focused, contextualized studies of lamps within the framework of Christian archaeology remains a desideratum for future research.

"A Monument of His Own? An Iconographic Study of the Wall Paintings of the Holy Trinity Parakklesion at the Monastery of St. John Chrysostom, Koutsovendis (Cyprus)", Studies in Iconography 39 (2018), 1-85.

The wall paintings of the parekklesion of Holy Trinity at the monastery of St. John Chrysostom, K... more The wall paintings of the parekklesion of Holy Trinity at the monastery of St. John Chrysostom, Koutsovendis (Cyprus), dated to around 1100, have been given central stage in narratives of early Komnenian art, due to their high quality and their “metropolitan” style. Conversely, their iconography has received little attention. It is this imbalance that the present study seeks to redress. By dissociating the discussion from the assumption that the parekklesion was meant to house the tomb of its founder—the military governor of Cyprus Eumathios Philokales—and by focusing on certain innovative features, the uniqueness and complexity of the iconography is revealed. The tracing of the ensemble’s relationship to current concerns of the imperial administration and the Church, its eschatological overtones, and its references to Antioch and Jerusalem, helps anchor it to its historical and art historical context in the Eastern Mediterranean at the time of the First Crusade.

Mediating presence: Curtains in Middle and Late Byzantine imperial ceremonial and portraiture. Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies, 42/1 (2018), 1-25.

Curtains constituted a standard component of the scenography of imperial ceremonies during the Mi... more Curtains constituted a standard component of the scenography of imperial ceremonies during the Middle and Late Byzantine period. This paper explores how curtains were used to control and ritualise sensory and perceptual access to the sacred person of the emperor and to manipulate emotive response to ritual performances. It also enquires into the way in which curtains, both as material objects and as symbols, were employed by those staging imperial ceremonies in order to articulate and communicate messages regarding the nature of the emperor's authority and his special status vis-à-vis his subjects. Paradoxically, the performative and symbolic potential that ensured the curtains’ use in imperial ceremonies led to their exclusion from the representation of the emperor in imperial portraiture, since post-Iconoclastic art did not admit veiled secrets.

The Visual Culture of Later Byzantium (c.1081–c.1350), parts 1 & 2.

ISBN: 9781108483056 Series: Sources for Byzantine Art History 3 In this book the beauty and m... more ISBN: 9781108483056
Series: Sources for Byzantine Art History 3

In this book the beauty and meaning of Byzantine art and its aesthetics are for the first time made accessible through the original sources. More than 150 medieval texts are translated from nine medieval languages into English, with commentaries from over seventy leading scholars. These include theories of art, discussions of patronage and understandings of iconography, practical recipes for artistic supplies, expressions of devotion, and descriptions of cities. The volume reveals the cultural plurality and the interconnectivity of medieval Europe and the Mediterranean from the late eleventh to the early fourteenth centuries. The first part uncovers salient aspects of Byzantine artistic production and its aesthetic reception, while the second puts a spotlight on particular ways of expressing admiration and of interpreting of the visual.

“Medieval Byzantine Furniture,” in Discipuli dona ferentes. Glimpses of Byzantium in Honour of Marlia Mundell Mango, ed. T. Papacostas and M. Parani, ΒΥΖΑΝΤΙΟς – Studies in Byzantine History and Civilization 11 (Turnhout: Brepols Publishers, 2017), 181-221.

Through an examination of the available archaeological, written and visual evidence, this paper t... more Through an examination of the available archaeological, written and visual evidence, this paper tackles the question of the presence of wooden furniture in Byzantine households of all social strata and enquires into the factors – practical, environmental, economic, social, or cultural – affecting its usage. Admittedly, the fragmentary nature of the evidence does not allow for the drawing of general conclusions nor for making chronological and geographical distinctions in relevant practices within the empire during the Middle and Late Byzantine periods. It does, however, allow us to trace certain general trends, which further our understanding of the workings of medieval Byzantine households. Apparently, the use of furniture was often associated with the higher layers of Byzantine society, was regarded as a symbol of social status and wealth and was employed as a means of expressing hierarchical social relations between individuals. However, references to the use of collapsible furniture among the affluent suggest that one would have encountered a degree of diversification in practices even among the upper social strata. More difficult to document is the use of wooden furniture among the middle and lower social strata. Whether or not the members of the middle and lower classes did avail themselves of wooden furniture appears to have been determined by the types of domestic spaces they inhabited and the uses to which these spaces were put. Consequently, it is argued that, beyond practical considerations like the availability of wood, the use of furniture in medieval Byzantium was indeed influenced by the social and financial status of the owner, but only to the degree that this status affected the adoption of a specific lifestyle and, more importantly, informed the architectural form and function of domestic space.

“‘The Joy of the Most Holy Mother of God the Hodegetria the One in Constantinople’: Revisiting the Famous Representation at the Blacherna Monastery, Arta,”

in Viewing Greece: Cultural and Political Agency in the Medieval and Early Modern Mediterranean, ... more

“Living in a Sweet Land: The Material Culture of Daily Life on Cyprus, 13th-14th centuries,” in Medieval Cyprus. A Place of Cultural Encounter, eds. S. Rogge and M. Grünbart (Μünster, 2015), 219-244.

I am grateful to the editors of the present volume, Sabine Rogge and Michael Grünbart, for the op... more I am grateful to the editors of the present volume, Sabine Rogge and Michael Grünbart, for the opportunity to present the findings of this survey here. 1 For a general and informative overview of society, economy, religion, and culture in Cyprus during the period under consideration here, see the studies collected in Nicolaou-Konnari-Schabel 2005.

"Optional extras or necessary elements? Middle and Late Byzantine male dress accessories", in Δασκάλα. Απόδοση τιμής στην Καθηγήτρια Μαίρη Παναγιωτίδη-Κεσίσογλου, ed. Pl. Petridis and V. Foskolou (Athens, 2015), pp. 407-435.

“Icons of Power: Images of Palaces in Late Antique Art,” in La Villa restaurata e i nuovi studi sull’edilizia residenziale tardoantica (Piazza Armerina, 7-10 November 2012), ed. P. Pensabene and C. Sfameni (Bari, 2014), 171-179.

L'autore ha il diritto di stampare o diffondere copie di questo PDF esclusivamente per uso scient... more L'autore ha il diritto di stampare o diffondere copie di questo PDF esclusivamente per uso scientifico o didattico. Edipuglia si riserva di mettere in vendita il PDF, oltre alla versione cartacea. L'autore ha diritto di pubblicare in internet il PDF originale allo scadere di 24 mesi. The author has the right to print or distribute copies of this PDF exclusively for scientific or educational purposes. Edipuglia reserves the right to sell the PDF, in addition to the paper version. The author has the right to publish the original PDF on the internet at the end of 24 months.

"The Stuff of Life: The Material Culture of Everyday Living on Middle Byzantine Cyprus (11th-12th centuries)”

‘Rise like the sun, the God-inspired kingship’: Light-symbolism and the Uses of Light in Middle and Late Byzantine Imperial Ceremonials.

“Look like an Angel: The Attire of Eunuchs and Its Significance within the Context of Middle Byzantine Court Ceremonial.”

If you have a eunuch, kill him; if you have not, buy one and kill him," went a Byzantine dictum.1... more If you have a eunuch, kill him; if you have not, buy one and kill him," went a Byzantine dictum.1 The negative portrayal of the eunuch appears to have been a common enough theme in Byzantine literature already since the fourth century, when no less an authority than St. Basil of Caesarea compiled a graphic-to put it mildly-list of their perceived vices.2 Lack of self-control, servility, wickedness, unbridled ambition, treachery, lewdness, gluttony, avarice, as well as physical feebleness, cowardice, and efffeminacy were all criticisms directed at one point or another by male Byzantine authors against eunuch targets. We have no way of knowing how wide the resonance of such derogatory views was or to what degree they echo more widespread popular perceptions of eunuchs in Byzantium. In fact, throughout the early and middle Byzantine periods disparaging portrayals of Byzantine eunuchs were counterbalanced by positive ones, also written exclusively by male authors, sometimes the same ones. Thus, we hear of eunuchs as being highly intelligent, good advisors, energetic, brave, loyal, kind, generous, temperate, chaste, and pure.3 A small number of eunuch martyrs and saintly eunuch prelates

“Byzantine identity and dress”

Byzantine Dress: A Guide, ed. J. Ball (London and New York: Routledge), 3-36., 2025

Self-identified Byzantines were aware of their dress as distinctive and distinct from that of the... more Self-identified Byzantines were aware of their dress as distinctive and distinct from that of the foreign other. What made this dress ‘Byzantine,’ i.e., expressive of a Byzantine ethnic or cultural identity, however, is difficult to define. This is not surprising when one considers the ambiguity and mutability of Byzantine identity, on the one hand, and the stunning diversity in form and function of Byzantine dress, on the other, over a period coeval with the Empire's millennial existence. Still, by exploring certain of the dress's features that are associated with (a) the articulation and presentation of the human body, (b) the construction and display of similarity and difference, and (c) the adherence to tradition and the incorporation of change, one is able to trace a number of general characteristics and tendencies that were culturally circumscribed and expressive of the complexities that defined Byzantine society, thus endowing the dress in question with what may be described as its Byzantine quality. This same exploration suggests that the aspects of an overarching Byzantine identity that were being communicated through dress varied depending on the wearer's gender, an observation that opens up alternative ways of looking at the challenging question of Byzantine identity and dress.

Negotiating Gender Identity through the Visual Arts

The Routledge Handbook on Gender and Sexuality in Byzantium, ed. M. Meyer and Ch. Messis (New York and London: Routledge) , 2024

The visual arts have much to contribute to the exploration of the construction and expression of ... more The visual arts have much to contribute to the exploration of the construction and expression of gender identity in Byzantium. The present chapter focuses on one particular category of visual evidence, Byzantine portraiture, in order to draw attention to both its potential and its limitations in this kind of enquiry. Through the discussion of four portraits of men, women, and one eunuch, selected from different periods and geographical regions within the Byzantine Empire, an image of complexity emerges. Byzantine individuals are revealed as striving for self-determination and claiming agency within the established boundaries of Byzantine gender norms, often by internalising and exploiting them rather than by openly defying them. On the other hand, our inability to identify and, thus, include Byzantine portraits of nonconforming, trans, or genderqueer individuals in the discussion demonstrates that we still have a long way to go in the study and understanding of gender identity in Byzantium.

Clothes maketh the emperor? Embodying and Performing Imperial Ideology in Byzantium through Dress

Staging the Ruler’s Body in Medieval Cultures: A Comparative Perspective”, ed. M. Bacci, G. Grigoryan Savary, and M. Studer-Karlen, Turnhout: Brepols, 2023

In Byzantium, clothes turned a man into an all-powerful emperor and ensured that anyone who saw h... more In Byzantium, clothes turned a man into an all-powerful emperor and ensured that anyone who saw him recognized him as such. But it was the man in the clothes, as well as the state behind the man, that gave them their transformative potency. If either the man or the state proved inadequate to support and fulfil the claims made by the clothes, then those same clothes were the unmaking of the emperor, becoming either the attire of the pompous tyrant or that of the unmanly weakling.

“Images of Breastfeeding in Early Byzantine Art: Form – Context – Function”

Breastfeeding and Mothering in Antiquity and Early Byzantium, ed. S. Constantinou and A. Skouroumouni-Stavrinou, London: Routledge , 2023

Compared to early representations of the Virgin Mary suckling the baby Jesus, images of ordinary,... more Compared to early representations of the Virgin Mary suckling the baby Jesus, images of ordinary, human women breastfeeding in early Byzantine art have received little attention. This chapter attempts to redress this situation by identifying and contextualizing such images dating from the fourth down to the seventh century AD. What becomes apparent from this first survey of the material is that, while in real life breastfeeding was an act as common as it was necessary, it was rarely represented in art. Still, the theme was introduced into a variety of media, and in diverse settings, funerary, secular, and religious. Furthermore, rather than being treated as a simple genre scene, it appears to have served a symbolic or an allegorical function, whether to identify a woman as a mother in funerary portraiture, to promote dynastic claims on imperial coinage, or to articulate ideas about fertility, nurture, vulnerability, dependency, and protection in both private and public contexts. Given its semiotic potential, the rarity of its occurrence in early Byzantine art remains a puzzle, though some thoughts on the artistic, social, and religious factors that may have informed this treatment are offered at the end in lieu of a conclusion.

"On the fringe. The painted ornament of the Holy Tinity chapel at Koutsovendēs, Cyprus"

Zograf 44, pp. 59-78, 2020

The paper explores the painted ornament of the Holy Trinity chapel at the monastery of Saint John... more The paper explores the painted ornament of the Holy Trinity chapel at the monastery of Saint John Chrysostom Koutsovendēs in Cyprus, founded by Eumathios Philokalēs (ca. 1100). When compared to that of other early Komnenian monuments on the island, the painted ornament at Holy Trinity stands out for its intricacy, diversity, and high-quality of execution, while its sophistication is demonstrated to be in keeping with the ambitious and erudite character of the painted ensemble as a whole. Not least, rather than being on the fringe, the painted ornament appears to have been fully integrated into the iconographic programme of the chapel, reiterating through metaphor the patron’s hope for salvation.

Keywords: painted ornament, disk symbolism, cross-and-star pattern, Islamic glazed tiles, early Komnenian painting, Koutsovendēs Monastery, Byzantine Cyprus

With B. Pitarakis and J.-M. Spieser, “Artefacts and Raw Materials in Byzantine Archival Documents (ByzAD): A New Electronic Resource for the Study of Byzantine Material Culture,” in Lire les Archives de l’Athos, ed. O. Delouis and K. Smyrlis = Travaux et mémoires 23/2 (Paris, 2019), 419-445.

by Maria Parani and Jean-Michel Spieser

This paper presents a new electronic resource, ByzAD, which aims to advance the study of Byzantin... more This paper presents a new electronic resource, ByzAD, which aims to advance the study of Byzantine material culture by collecting and interpreting references to raw materials and religious and secular artefacts found in Greek Byzantine archival documents. These include private and public acts, as well as monastic typika and inventories (10th – 15th century). The presentation is divided into three sections. The first section briefly outlines the structure and contents of ByzAD and discusses the potential contribution of the documentary evidence – now easily accessed thanks to ByzAD – in addressing questions related to the social and personal “lives” of artefacts. Indeed, certain objects appear to have served a more complex role than that of simple
asset or commodity for their owners and users. The second section focuses on metalwork, a facet of Byzantine material culture which is very well represented in the database, and surveys the documents’ information on its various daily uses as well as on types of materials and techniques. The exceptional usefulness of ByzAD in elucidating the meaning of obscure terms is shown in the discussion of certain technical words related to metalwork. The contribution of ByzAD
in the disambiguation of Byzantine technical vocabulary is further illustrated in the third and final section, where all the difficult or rare technical terms that are encountered in ByzAD are collected and listed in alphabetical order, accompanied by a brief definition and commentary.

“Curtains in the Middle and Late Byzantine House,” in Catalogue of the Textiles in the Dumbarton Oaks Byzantine Collection, ed. Gudrun Bühl and Elizabeth Dospěl Williams (Washington, DC, 2019).

“Experiencing miraculous icons in Byzantium: the examples of the icon of the ‘Usual Miracle’ and the Hodegetria in Constantinople”

In Visibilité et présence de l’image dans l’espace ecclésial. Byzance et Moyen Âge occidental, ed. S. Brodbeck and A.-O. Poilpré, with the assistance of M. Stavrou, Byzantina Sorbonensia 30 (Paris: Éditions de la Sorbonne), 2019

Les opinions exprimées dans cet ouvrage n'engagent que leurs auteurs.

"Lamps"

The Oxford Handbook of Early Christian Archaeology, eds. William R. Caraher, Thomas W. Davis, and David K. Pettegrew, 2019

Lamps with Christian imagery are among the earliest and most easily identifiable material witness... more Lamps with Christian imagery are among the earliest and most easily identifiable material witnesses to early Christian communities in the Roman Empire, but lamps employed by Christians were not confined to those adorned with religious images and symbols. This chapter presents an overview of the types of clay, metal, and glass lamps
owned and used by Christians and discusses their functions in daily, funerary, ecclesiastical, and other ritual contexts. Continuities with and departures from earlier Roman practices are highlighted, while the emergence of a specifically Christian decorative repertory is associated both with the wish of early Christians to express their distinct religious identity in material terms and with the gradual elaboration of a Christian symbolism of light. The need for more focused, contextualized studies of lamps within the framework of Christian archaeology remains a desideratum for future research.

"A Monument of His Own? An Iconographic Study of the Wall Paintings of the Holy Trinity Parakklesion at the Monastery of St. John Chrysostom, Koutsovendis (Cyprus)", Studies in Iconography 39 (2018), 1-85.

The wall paintings of the parekklesion of Holy Trinity at the monastery of St. John Chrysostom, K... more The wall paintings of the parekklesion of Holy Trinity at the monastery of St. John Chrysostom, Koutsovendis (Cyprus), dated to around 1100, have been given central stage in narratives of early Komnenian art, due to their high quality and their “metropolitan” style. Conversely, their iconography has received little attention. It is this imbalance that the present study seeks to redress. By dissociating the discussion from the assumption that the parekklesion was meant to house the tomb of its founder—the military governor of Cyprus Eumathios Philokales—and by focusing on certain innovative features, the uniqueness and complexity of the iconography is revealed. The tracing of the ensemble’s relationship to current concerns of the imperial administration and the Church, its eschatological overtones, and its references to Antioch and Jerusalem, helps anchor it to its historical and art historical context in the Eastern Mediterranean at the time of the First Crusade.

Mediating presence: Curtains in Middle and Late Byzantine imperial ceremonial and portraiture. Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies, 42/1 (2018), 1-25.

Curtains constituted a standard component of the scenography of imperial ceremonies during the Mi... more Curtains constituted a standard component of the scenography of imperial ceremonies during the Middle and Late Byzantine period. This paper explores how curtains were used to control and ritualise sensory and perceptual access to the sacred person of the emperor and to manipulate emotive response to ritual performances. It also enquires into the way in which curtains, both as material objects and as symbols, were employed by those staging imperial ceremonies in order to articulate and communicate messages regarding the nature of the emperor's authority and his special status vis-à-vis his subjects. Paradoxically, the performative and symbolic potential that ensured the curtains’ use in imperial ceremonies led to their exclusion from the representation of the emperor in imperial portraiture, since post-Iconoclastic art did not admit veiled secrets.

The Visual Culture of Later Byzantium (c.1081–c.1350), parts 1 & 2.

ISBN: 9781108483056 Series: Sources for Byzantine Art History 3 In this book the beauty and m... more ISBN: 9781108483056
Series: Sources for Byzantine Art History 3

In this book the beauty and meaning of Byzantine art and its aesthetics are for the first time made accessible through the original sources. More than 150 medieval texts are translated from nine medieval languages into English, with commentaries from over seventy leading scholars. These include theories of art, discussions of patronage and understandings of iconography, practical recipes for artistic supplies, expressions of devotion, and descriptions of cities. The volume reveals the cultural plurality and the interconnectivity of medieval Europe and the Mediterranean from the late eleventh to the early fourteenth centuries. The first part uncovers salient aspects of Byzantine artistic production and its aesthetic reception, while the second puts a spotlight on particular ways of expressing admiration and of interpreting of the visual.

“Medieval Byzantine Furniture,” in Discipuli dona ferentes. Glimpses of Byzantium in Honour of Marlia Mundell Mango, ed. T. Papacostas and M. Parani, ΒΥΖΑΝΤΙΟς – Studies in Byzantine History and Civilization 11 (Turnhout: Brepols Publishers, 2017), 181-221.

Through an examination of the available archaeological, written and visual evidence, this paper t... more Through an examination of the available archaeological, written and visual evidence, this paper tackles the question of the presence of wooden furniture in Byzantine households of all social strata and enquires into the factors – practical, environmental, economic, social, or cultural – affecting its usage. Admittedly, the fragmentary nature of the evidence does not allow for the drawing of general conclusions nor for making chronological and geographical distinctions in relevant practices within the empire during the Middle and Late Byzantine periods. It does, however, allow us to trace certain general trends, which further our understanding of the workings of medieval Byzantine households. Apparently, the use of furniture was often associated with the higher layers of Byzantine society, was regarded as a symbol of social status and wealth and was employed as a means of expressing hierarchical social relations between individuals. However, references to the use of collapsible furniture among the affluent suggest that one would have encountered a degree of diversification in practices even among the upper social strata. More difficult to document is the use of wooden furniture among the middle and lower social strata. Whether or not the members of the middle and lower classes did avail themselves of wooden furniture appears to have been determined by the types of domestic spaces they inhabited and the uses to which these spaces were put. Consequently, it is argued that, beyond practical considerations like the availability of wood, the use of furniture in medieval Byzantium was indeed influenced by the social and financial status of the owner, but only to the degree that this status affected the adoption of a specific lifestyle and, more importantly, informed the architectural form and function of domestic space.

“‘The Joy of the Most Holy Mother of God the Hodegetria the One in Constantinople’: Revisiting the Famous Representation at the Blacherna Monastery, Arta,”

in Viewing Greece: Cultural and Political Agency in the Medieval and Early Modern Mediterranean, ... more

“Living in a Sweet Land: The Material Culture of Daily Life on Cyprus, 13th-14th centuries,” in Medieval Cyprus. A Place of Cultural Encounter, eds. S. Rogge and M. Grünbart (Μünster, 2015), 219-244.

I am grateful to the editors of the present volume, Sabine Rogge and Michael Grünbart, for the op... more I am grateful to the editors of the present volume, Sabine Rogge and Michael Grünbart, for the opportunity to present the findings of this survey here. 1 For a general and informative overview of society, economy, religion, and culture in Cyprus during the period under consideration here, see the studies collected in Nicolaou-Konnari-Schabel 2005.

"Optional extras or necessary elements? Middle and Late Byzantine male dress accessories", in Δασκάλα. Απόδοση τιμής στην Καθηγήτρια Μαίρη Παναγιωτίδη-Κεσίσογλου, ed. Pl. Petridis and V. Foskolou (Athens, 2015), pp. 407-435.

“Icons of Power: Images of Palaces in Late Antique Art,” in La Villa restaurata e i nuovi studi sull’edilizia residenziale tardoantica (Piazza Armerina, 7-10 November 2012), ed. P. Pensabene and C. Sfameni (Bari, 2014), 171-179.

L'autore ha il diritto di stampare o diffondere copie di questo PDF esclusivamente per uso scient... more L'autore ha il diritto di stampare o diffondere copie di questo PDF esclusivamente per uso scientifico o didattico. Edipuglia si riserva di mettere in vendita il PDF, oltre alla versione cartacea. L'autore ha diritto di pubblicare in internet il PDF originale allo scadere di 24 mesi. The author has the right to print or distribute copies of this PDF exclusively for scientific or educational purposes. Edipuglia reserves the right to sell the PDF, in addition to the paper version. The author has the right to publish the original PDF on the internet at the end of 24 months.

"The Stuff of Life: The Material Culture of Everyday Living on Middle Byzantine Cyprus (11th-12th centuries)”

‘Rise like the sun, the God-inspired kingship’: Light-symbolism and the Uses of Light in Middle and Late Byzantine Imperial Ceremonials.

“Look like an Angel: The Attire of Eunuchs and Its Significance within the Context of Middle Byzantine Court Ceremonial.”

If you have a eunuch, kill him; if you have not, buy one and kill him," went a Byzantine dictum.1... more If you have a eunuch, kill him; if you have not, buy one and kill him," went a Byzantine dictum.1 The negative portrayal of the eunuch appears to have been a common enough theme in Byzantine literature already since the fourth century, when no less an authority than St. Basil of Caesarea compiled a graphic-to put it mildly-list of their perceived vices.2 Lack of self-control, servility, wickedness, unbridled ambition, treachery, lewdness, gluttony, avarice, as well as physical feebleness, cowardice, and efffeminacy were all criticisms directed at one point or another by male Byzantine authors against eunuch targets. We have no way of knowing how wide the resonance of such derogatory views was or to what degree they echo more widespread popular perceptions of eunuchs in Byzantium. In fact, throughout the early and middle Byzantine periods disparaging portrayals of Byzantine eunuchs were counterbalanced by positive ones, also written exclusively by male authors, sometimes the same ones. Thus, we hear of eunuchs as being highly intelligent, good advisors, energetic, brave, loyal, kind, generous, temperate, chaste, and pure.3 A small number of eunuch martyrs and saintly eunuch prelates

Reconstructing the Reality of Images: Byzantine Material Culture and Religious Iconography (11th-15th centuries), The Medieval Mediterranean 41 (Leiden and Boston: Brill Academic Publishers, 2003)

Lighting in Early Byzantium (Washington D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, 2008)

The Art and Archaeology of Lusignan and Venetian Cyprus (1192-1571). Recent Research and New Discoveries

by Michalis Olympios and Maria Parani

Studies in the Visual Cultures of the Middle Ages (SVCMA 12), 2019

From a Byzantine province to an independent Latin kingdom under the Lusignan dynasty (11929/27–14... more From a Byzantine province to an independent Latin kingdom under the Lusignan dynasty (11929/27–1474/89) and a colonial outpost of the Venetian maritime empire (1474/89–1571), the island of Cyprus, at the eastern end of the Mediterranean, is blessed with a rich and diverse medieval cultural heritage. Its monumental art and its material culture – architecture, fresco and icon painting, woodcarving, metalwork, glazed ceramics, and so on – exist at the crossroads of several artistic traditions often thought to represent mutually exclusive visual languages, such as the late medieval Gothic and Byzantine styles (in their respective variants), the local art of the Levant, and the classicizing mode of the Italian Renaissance. It is precisely this seemingly ‘composite’ nature of medieval Cypriot artistic production that, over the years, has both divided and united scholars attempting to match styles and forms to the patronage of the various religious, ethnic, and linguistic groups (Latins, Greeks, Syrians, Armenians, and others) making up the island’s complex social fabric.
The seventeen essays in this volume offer a snapshot of the most recent scholarship on the art, archaeology, and material culture of Cyprus under Latin rule. Established and emerging art historians and archaeologists, both trained Byzantinists and specialists of European medieval art, come together to re-appraise the field in the light of current research, put forward new evidence from fresh archival, archaeological, or archaeometric research, and propose novel interpretations destined to blaze exciting new pathways to future study of this fascinating body of material.

Discipuli dona ferentes. Glimpses of Byzantium in honour of Marlia Mundell Mango

by Tassos Papacostas and Maria Parani

In recognition and celebration of the achievements of Marlia (Maria Cordelia) Mundell Mango as a ... more In recognition and celebration of the achievements of Marlia (Maria Cordelia) Mundell Mango as a researcher and as a teacher, twelve of her doctoral students offer her this volume of collected essays, showcasing recent research in Byzantine archaeology and material culture studies. The essays are divided into three sections. The first comprises studies on Byzantine economy, shipping, road networks, production and trade from Late Antiquity down to the time of the Crusades. The studies in the second part discuss facets of the material culture and the lifestyle especially of the upper social strata in the Byzantine Empire, while those of the final section explore aspects of artistic creativity in the lands of the empire. Taken together, these diverse studies offer 'glimpses' into the Byzantine economy and trade, lifestyle and religion, ideology and identity , artistic creativity and its impact beyond the Byzantine frontier, illustrating a variety of methodological approaches and pointing towards new directions for future research. Their wide chronological, geographic and thematic coverage is in itself a tribute to Marlia Mango's breadth of knowledge and a reflection of her far-ranging research interests.

M. Parani and D. Michaelides, eds, The Archaeology of Late Antique and Byzantine Cyprus (4th–12th centuries AD). Conference in Honour of Athanasios Papageorghiou = Cahiers du Centre d’ Études Chypriotes 43 (2013), 11-328.

The collection of nineteen essays presented here derives from the proceedings of the internationa... more The collection of nineteen essays presented here derives from the proceedings of the international conference "The Archaeology of Late Antique and Byzantine Cyprus (4 th -12 th centuries AD): Recent Research and New Discoveries", which took place at the Archaeological Research Unit of the University of Cyprus in October 2012. This constituted a sequel to the successful international colloquium organised in Paris in September 2009 by the Centre d'Études chypriotes, the UMR ArScAn (CNRS, Université de Paris I, Université de Paris Ouest) and the University of Cyprus, with the title "Chypre à l'époque hellénistique et impériale : recherches récentes et nouvelles découvertes", the outcomes of which were also published in 2009, in volume 39 of the Cahier du Centre d'Études chypriotes.

A. Beihammer, S. Constantinou and M. Parani, eds, Court Ceremonies and Rituals of Power in Byzantium and the Medieval Mediterranean. Comparative Perspectives, The Medieval Mediterranean 98 (Leiden: Brill Academic Publishers, 2013)

A. D. Beihammer, M. G. Parani and Ch. D. Schabel, eds, Diplomatics in the Eastern Mediterranean, 1000-1500: Aspects of Cross-Cultural Communication, The Medieval Mediterranean 74 (Leiden and Boston: Brill Academic Publishers, 2008).

3.1 Ludovic Bender, Maria Parani, Brigitte Pitarakis, Jean-Michel Spieser, Aude Vuilloud, Artefacts and Raw Materials in Byzantine Archival Documents / Objets et matériaux dans les documents d'archives byzantins

by Jean-Michel Spieser, Ludovic Bender, and Maria Parani