Images of the Mother of God: Perceptions of the Theotokos in Byzantium

440 Pages·2017·20.15 MB·English

by  Maria Vassilaki

     
To the memory of Nicolas Oikonomides
Images of the Mother of God
Perceptions of the Theotokos in Byzantium
Edited by Maria Vassilaki
First published 2005 by Ashgate Publishing
Published 2016 by Routledge
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Images of the Mother of God: perceptions
of the Theotokos in Byzantium
1. Mary, Blessed Virgin, Saint – Art 2. Icons,
Byzantine 3. Byzantine Empire – Religion
I. Vassilaki, Maria
704.9'4855'09495'0902
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Images of the Mother of God: perceptions of the Theotokos in
Byzantium / edited by Maria Vassilaki.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-754-63603-8 (alk. paper)
1. Mary, Blessed Virgin, Saint—Devotion to—Byzantine
Empire—Congresses. 2. Byzantine Empire—Religious life and
customs—Congresses. I. Vassilaki, Maria. II. Title.
BT652.B99I45 2004
232.91—dc22
2004000031
ISBN 9780754636038 (hbk)
Typeset in Garamond by Bookcraft Ltd, Stroud, Gloucestershire.
Contents
List of Illustrations ix
List of Contributors xvii
Foreword Angelos Delivorrias xix
Preface Evangelos Chrysos xxi
Acknowledgements Maria Vassilaki xxiii
List of Abbreviations xxv
Introduction Averil Cameron xxvii
I Early cult and representations
1 Isis and Mary in early icons 3
Thomas F. Mathews and Norman Muller
2 The enigmatic Coptic Galaktotrophousa and the cult of the Virgin Mary in Egypt 13
Elizabeth S. Bolman
3 Icons and sites. Cult images of the Virgin in mediaeval Rome 23
Gerhard Wolf
4 Theotokos andLogos: the interpretation and reinterpretation of the
sanctuary programme of the Koimesis Church, Nicaea 51
Charles Barber
II The theology of the Theotokos
5 The Virgin as the true Ark of the Covenant 63
† Michel van Esbroeck
6 The Theotokos in Byzantine hymnography: typology and allegory 69
Christian Hannick
7 Use and abuse of the ‘image’ of the Theotokos in the political life
of Byzantium (with special reference to the iconoclast period) 77
Nike Koutrakou
8 From poetry to liturgy: the cult of the Virgin in the Middle Byzantine era 91
Niki Tsironis
v
vi      
9 Exchanging embrace. The body of salvation 103
Ioli Kalavrezou
10 The symbolism of the censer in Byzantine representations of the
Dormition of the Virgin 117
Maria Evangelatou
11 The Portaitissa icon at Iveron monastery and
the cult of the Virgin on Mount Athos 133
Kriton Chryssochoidis
III Female authority and devotion
12 The empress and the Virgin in early Byzantium: piety, authority and devotion 145
Liz James
13 Female piety in context: understanding developments in
private devotional practices 153
Brigitte Pitarakis
14 The eyes of the Mother of God 167
Robin Cormack
15 Zoe’s lead seal: female invocation to the Annunciation of the Virgin 175
Vasso Penna
IV Public and private cult
16 Byzantine domestic art as evidence for the early cult of the Virgin 183
Henry Maguire
17 The ‘activated’ icon: the Hodegetria procession and Mary’sEisodos 195
Bissera V. Pentcheva
18 Picturing the spiritual protector: from Blachernitissa to Hodegetria 209
Christine Angelidi and Titos Papamastorakis
19 The image of the Virgin Zoodochos Pege: two questions concerning its origin 225
Natalia Teteriatnikov
20 The cult of the Virgin Zoodochos Pege at Mistra 239
Rhodoniki Etzeoglou
21 The Virgin, the Christ-child and the evil eye 251
Vassiliki Foskolou
22 Praying for the salvation of the empire? 263
Maria Vassilaki
 vii
V Between East and West
23 Thoughts on Mary east and west 277
Annemarie Weyl Carr
24 The Kahn and Mellon Madonnas and their place in the history
of the Virgin and Child Enthroned in Italy and the East 293
Rebecca W. Corrie
25 Representations of the Virgin in Lusignan Cyprus 305
Sophia Kalopissi-Verti
26 The legacy of the Hodegetria: holy icons and legends between east and west 321
Michele Bacci
27 A Byzantine icon of thedexiokratousaHodegetria from Crete
at the Benaki Museum 337
Nano Chatzidakis
Epilogue Maria Vassilaki 359
Index 363

List of Illustrations
Colour plates
between the Introduction and Part 1
1 Wadi Natrun, Monastery of the Virgin Mary (so-called Syrian
Monastery), Church of the Virgin Mary.Khurus, painted column,
encaustic. Virgin Mary Galaktotrophousa
2 Rome, S. Maria Maggiore, Cappella Paolina.
The Virgin ‘Salus Populi Romani’
3a Rome, S. Maria Maggiore, Cappella Paolina.
The Virgin ‘Salus Populi Romani’ (detail)
3b Rome, S. Maria Maggiore, Cappella Paolina.
The Virgin ‘Salus Populi Romani’ (detail)
4 Athens, Benaki Museum. Icon of the Lamenting Virgin
5 Rome, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana.
Rebecca giving birth (late 11th c.)
6 Cyprus, Lagoudera, church of the Virgin Arakiotissa,
view of the south wall. Dormition of the Virgin
7 Mt Athos, Holy Monastery of Iveron.
Icon of the Virgin ‘Portaitissa’
8 Athens, Benaki Museum. Bronze ring (6th–7th c.)
9 Turkey, Aphrodisias, wall painting at the theatre.
St Michael (6th c.)
10 Paris, Bibliothèque nationale. Zoe’s lead seal (11th c.)
11 Poreµ, Basilica of Eufrasius. Apse mosaic. The Virgin and Child
with bishop Eufrasius and the child Eufrasius (detail)
12a Ohrid, church of St Clement (the Virgin Peribleptos).
Two-sided icon: front side, the Virgin Hodegetria
12b Ohrid, church of St Clement (the Virgin Peribleptos).
Two-sided icon: back side, the Crucifixion
13 Cyprus, Paphos, Enkleistra of St Neophytos (late 12th c.).
St Stephen the Younger holding the icon of the Virgin
14 Cyprus, Trikomo, church of the Virgin. Apse conch
15 Mistra, church of the Hodegetria (Aphendiko).
The Virgin Zoodochos Pege
16 Aigina, Omorphi Ekklesia (1289). The Nativity
17 The Freising ‘Lukasbild’
18a The Freising ‘Lukasbild’ (detail)
18b Mt Athos, Pantokrator monastery.
Detail from a two-sided icon of the Virgin and Child
ix