A 6th-Century Ivory Episcopal Throne

A friend of mine recently visited the Italian city of Ravenna, a port city on the Adriatic coast, about 50 miles directly east of Bologna. In the 5th century, this city became the capital of the waning western Roman Empire, and from the later 6th century to the middle of the 8th, was the seat of the Byzantine imperial governor of Italy, known as the exarch. Several of the city’s churches famously preserve important mosaics from this period.

Here are my friend’s photographs of an interesting monument of the same period, a throne decorated with carved ivory panels, which belonged to an archbishop of Ravenna named Maximian (499-556), who held the see for the last ten years of his life. The throne was made in the first half of the sixth century in either Constantinople or Alexandria. The panels on the back depict episodes from the life of Christ, and those on the side show episodes from the life of the patriarch Joseph; between them are panels with decorative vines interspersed with animals. This is now kept in the archepiscopal museum of Ravenna, and, of course, behind protective glass, which makes for less than ideal photography.

On the front panel beneath the seat are shown St John the Baptist and the four evangelists, with the name archbishop’s name in Greek, Maximianos, arranged in a monogram above St John. 

A detail of the decorative motif in the panel beneath.

Episodes from the life of Christ on the back.

The Annunciation

The dream of St Joseph, and the journey to Bethlehem.

The Nativity

Christ enthroned with the Virgin, attended by St Joseph and an angel. The star above indicates that this represents the Epiphany, even though the Magi are not shown. 

Christ among the doctors in the temple. 

The Baptism of Christ

The transformation of water into wine at the Wedding at Cana.

The multiplication of the loaves and fishes.

The triumphal entry into Jerusalem

Episodes of the life of Joseph on the side of the throne.