Personal Adornment
In the world of Byzantine art, jewelry and personal adornment played an important role in visual culture. The objects presented in this gallery, despite having common themes of devotion or protection, emphasize the wide variety of uses for jewelry in the Byzantine era — for instance, among the rings in this collection there is a wide variety of utilities; while adornment was typically a show of wealth and power, the ways in which individual objects were used still vary — from a marriage ring to a curse ring to a ring of devotion. Each of these, and all the pieces presented here, hold a unique story and show the power of Byzantine jewelry in the role of self-presentation.
Gallery
