Fig. 132.—Wine Crater in Silver; from the Hildesheim Treasures. Antique Roman.
The bridal caskets have the portraits of the bride and bridegroom in hammered or repoussé work, and mythological marine subjects. The style and execution is in the usual coarse manner that characterized the work of the period of early Christian Art, with some of the antique traditions still asserting their influence in the style of the design.
Tripods, candelabra, vases, bowls, caskets, spoons, besides articles of personal adornment made in the precious metals, have been found in the buried cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii, and in other places in Italy, France, and Germany, of antique Roman design. (See Fig. 417 in the previous volume of this work.)
The names of a few Greek and Roman goldsmiths occur in the writings of Pausanias, Pliny, and Martial, one of the earliest of which is named Mentor, who probably lived in a subsequent near period to Phidias. Acragras and Mys were the names of two others of a little later time. Stratonicus and Tauriscus are two others who lived in the third century B.C. Antipater is mentioned as the name of a goldsmith by Pliny.
Pytheas was a famous worker in gold and silver, who engraved figure compositions, and Posidanius of Ephesus excelled in hunting and racing subjects. Praxiteles was a silversmith who executed animal representations from the life, and “Alexander the coppersmith” is mentioned in St. Paul’s Epistle to Timothy.
The metal work of the Byzantine period—from the fourth to the eleventh century—is characterized by a subservience of the design to the material employed; in other words, what was lacking in good drawing and modelling was replaced by splendour and magnificence in the general effect.
The use of gold with enamels was a great feature in Byzantine art and throughout the Middle Ages. When the great Church of Santa Sophia was rebuilt by Justinian in the sixth century, the best artists were employed to make the great altar screen, and to decorate the sanctuary in resplendent works in gold, silver, and enamels. The altar was made in marble plated with gold in which was set precious stones and crusted enamels. It was supported by pillars thickly plated with gold.[gold.] The canopy or ciborium of the altar rested on four silver-gilt columns, and this canopy was overlaid with plates of silver, on which were figures wrought in niello work. The canopy had an orb surmounted by a cross made of gold and inlaid with large precious stones. The screen in front of the altar had its dado or lower part of gilt bronze, and the pillars and architrave silver-plated. It had also statues and panels of silver, the latter being engraved with figures of saints in niello work. The ambo or pulpit had a canopy of plated gold set with precious stones. The sanctuary of Santa Sophia contained forty thousand pounds weight of silver, and the altar vessels were made of gold set with stones of the greatest value.
The above description is given by Mr. J. Hungerford Pollen, in his handbook of “Gold and Silver,” to whom we are indebted for many of the illustrations and some interesting information on the subject of the precious metals.
It will be seen from this that Justinian had established a great school of goldsmiths and enamellers at Byzantium, and when Leo the Iconoclast in the eighth century, and Theophilus in 832, finally drove out the image-makers and many other goldsmiths from Constantinople—checking in a great degree the art of the metal-worker in the Eastern Empire—they were received with great welcome in Italy, Germany, and France, where they followed the practice of their art under more favourable auspices.
Under Basil the Macedonian, who died in 886, the images were restored, and a great encouragement given to all kinds of art; and during the reign of Constantine, his grandson (912-959), Constantinople was again a great art centre from which Italy and Germany procured their chief artists. The celebrated Pala d’Oro, or Altar of St. Mark’s, Venice, and the bronze gates of San Paolo, near Rome, were made in Constantinople.