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Arts of the Byzantine Empire

1. Mosaics

Small pieces of shell, glass, tile, or minerals—by themselves undistinguished—can be combined into a design or image that is greater than the sum of its parts. In the Byzantine Empire, mosaics served along with frescoes to decorate churches and record important people, like the Emperor Justinian and his attendants in this mosaic. Often, after an underlying sketch was created as a guide, mosaics were created piece-by-piece on a patch of wet plaster or mortar just big enough for the work of the day. But in at least one instance, some parts of a mosaic were preassembled in smaller sections before being placed into the larger work.

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2. Silk

Such was the demand for expensive Chinese silk, that 6th-century Byzantine Emperor Justinian wanted to be able to manufacture it in Byzantium. Although people in the west had learned in about 60 C.E. that silk did not grow on trees, that knowledge did not bring them closer to making silk. The Chinese guarded their process and the silkworms that made it possible with care. But this was not to last. Spies of Emperor Justinian, dressed as monks, stole silkworms from China and smuggled them back to Byzantium in their staves. This theft served as the foundation of the Byzantine silk industry. As the dress requirements for courtiers and administrators of the Byzantine Empire became extremely elaborate, the silk industry flourished, making distinctive garments for each rank.

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3. Domes

Byzantine domes—constructed of brick, pottery, or porous stone—became a key feature of the empire’s architecture, particularly the churches. Unlike Roman domes, which were used above structures in the form of circles or polygons, Byzantine domes were created above square structures using arches and a triangular “vault” at each corner. The inside of the domes were covered with mosaics, uninterrupted by any seams or corners. Sometimes small domes were arranged around a larger central dome.

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4. Icons

Western Europeans celebrated saints in miracle plays put on publicly. Byzantines used mosaics and frescoes for public celebration of the saints, but they also created small, painted icons, like this icon of St. George, which were used privately by individuals as a visible aid to spiritual thoughts. Like mosaics, icons often feature stylized poses, symmetrical faces, and a rich use of gold. Specific postures, such as Christ Pantocrator, who holds a bible in his left hand and gives a blessing with his right, are used across media—in mosaics, frescoes, and icons.

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5. Illuminated Manuscripts

Byzantine illuminated manuscripts helped preserve classical medical texts, as well as recording new learning. This image —believed to be the first ever of an orange carrot—comes from the work of Dioscorides, a Greek physician who lived in the 1st century and is known for his observations of plants and testing of herbal remedies. His medical handbook was translated into Latin and was the authoritative work on the use of plants in medicine until Early Modern times, not only in the Byzantine Empire, but also in western Europe and the Islamic world.

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6. Coins

In the 11th century, when this coin was minted for Emperor Romanus III (1028–1034), there were gold, silver, and copper coins in Byzantium. The two gold coins were the Nomisma histamenon (“standard coin”), which weighed 24 carats, and the Nomisma tetarteron (“quarter coin”), which weighed 22 carats, shown above. One side of the coins characteristically showed the current emperor, but the other showed Christian images, which became more detailed over time. Initially, there were simply crosses; then images of Christ came into use, and finally Mary and other saints were shown. Eventually, the religious imagery became more important than the image of the ruler. On this coin, Mary is on the front, and the ruler’s image is on the back.

Nomisma tetarteron obverse (front) Nomisma tetarteron reverse (back)