Since the above has been in type we have found a pamphlet published by the brothers Fossati in 1890,[406] describing a collection of drawings of S. Sophia, shown by them at Milan. From this we gather the following additional particulars of the mosaic subjects.—Over the door of the south porch “was a remarkable mosaic representing the Virgin and Child, to whom Justinian presents the Church and Constantine the City.”—A representation of Christ, the Virgin, and S. John, forming the Trimorphion (Pantocrator, Pantochrante, Pantepopte.)—Two groups of the Fathers of the Church, thirteen altogether: Ignatius Oneos, Methodius, Ignatius Theophorus, Gregory Thaumaturgus, John Chrysostom, Cyril, and Athanasius. [These must occupy the seven recesses on the north window-wall, as the six others agree with those given by Salzenberg on the south side].—The Pantocrator on a throne [? supposed centre of Pentecost dome].—John Palaeologus [? with the Virgin on north side of great east arch, p. [278]].—John Comnenus and Irene with the Virgin between them.—Constantine XI. and Zoe with Christ between them.—Alexius Comnenus X. or XI.—Alexander, the brother of Leo [some of these also were doubtless on the great east and west arches].—Three Virgins.—S. John with six apostles surrounded by cherubim [? in higher part of one of the window-walls, p. [277]].—Prophets [? of window-wall, p. [276]].—A circle with colossal Pantocrator [? the destroyed centre of the great dome].—Different emblems with Greek and Latin descriptions. Besides these, a drawing of Cherubim “saved from the Atrium Portico” is mentioned; and the inscription on the arch in front of the apse is given as follows, and may be compared with Salzenberg’s Plate x.:—
ΗΙΑΝΙΡϹΕΙΑΡ ΗΡΑΝΘΕΟΗΑΡΙΗΑΡ ΘΕϹΙϹΗΝΑΝΕΑΙϹΕΙΕ ΠΑΡΙΝ.
The earliest description of the mosaics entering into any particulars is that of Dr. Covel’s MS. 1670-7 in the British Museum. “In those cupolas [of gynaeceum] are imagery of Saints and the story of the Bible which the Turks have in many places quite defaced and plastered them all over; in other places only scratched out or disfigured their faces as the cherubims in the corners under the great dome.” He then enters into details of the pentecost dome which was the only figured vault entire; and then describes mosaics in the western gallery not otherwise mentioned. “In the sides of the second window [from the south], is Christ coming up from Jordan and the Descent of the Holy Ghost with these words, Matt. iii., 17:—ΟΥΤΟϹΕϹΤΙΝ, &c., on one side and over against it, Christ between Moses and Elias with these words, Matt. xvii., 5:—ΟΥΤΟϹ, &c.” The window jambs of the western gallery are now plastered, it is probable that a series of mosaics of the life of Christ covered them. Up to 1840 every visitor seems to have been offered tesserae, which for better assurance were broken out before his eyes. The Italian MS. of 1611 also in the British Museum (Harl. 3408), after saying that the walls of the church were lined with marble adds, “the porch as well, except that this is all worked in mosaic with growing leaves of great beauty down to the pavement of the porch.”[407]
Fig. 73.—Mosaic Tesserae, actual size.
Signor Boni has noticed that some of the gold tesserae at Parenzo are inserted at an angle of 30° to the plane of the wall, so as to be normal to the line of vision, just as Salzenberg describes at S. Sophia; the same thing occurs at the Dome of the Rock. This, besides saving the material, aided in flashing the light, a property of the gold tesserae which was much valued, as several inscriptions from the mosaics show.[408] In S. Maria in Domnica, the apse—“Nunc rutilat jugiter variis decorata metallis,” again in S. Maria in Trastevere the vault “divini rutilat fulgore decoris,” and at S. Paulo fuori le Mura the mosaic—“fulget fulgente decore.”
We have examined a handful of gold tesserae from S. Sophia through the kindness of Mr. James Powell. The cubes average a quarter of an inch in size, the glass is yellowish, slightly amethyst or dark green. The surface layer equals stout paper in thickness. At the back of the tesserae a dusty red appears, which under a glass proves to be of powdered tile. This roughens and adheres to the surface of the glass, which was evidently sanded with the powder while in a molten state, and of course before it was broken into morsels. The first purpose of this without doubt was to increase the hold of the cubes to the cementing material, but the reddening—almost like a coat of vermilion paint—may probably have assisted the gold to show out better than if the tesserae had been fixed without it into the perfectly white stucco which forms the bed. The cementing material was an inch or more in thickness, formed of lime with broken reed for binding, and a considerable amount of crushed white marble, in the part next the mosaic at least.
§ 3. GLASS, PLASTER AND PAINTING.
The Romans probably largely used coloured glass for windows. The lattices were sometimes bronze or thin slabs of marble pierced into a pattern.[409] Sidonius († 484), describing the basilica of Tours, clearly mentions the patterned windows of green and sapphire glass.[410] It has been suggested that some of the windows at S. Sophia were filled with glass of brilliant colour. Theophilus, in his preface to the section of his work dealing with coloured glass, says, “I have approached the atrium of Holy Sophia, and beheld the chancel filled with every variety of divers colours.” He proceeds to describe windows of painted glass in which the pieces are united by leads: but assuredly, if coloured windows did exist in the apse of S. Sophia, the glass was inserted in pierced marble, like the plaster lattices of the Orientals. Beautiful windows of brilliant-hued glass exist in the mosques and turbehs. The Arab lattices show us what beautiful mosaics of jewels may be formed in this way; the singular charm of them is the spreading and blending of the colours, by reflection from the sides of the thick dividing bars; lumps of crystal seem to have been used occasionally in place of glass. Most beautiful ‘braided’ Byzantine lattices of marble are to be found at S. Mark’s which would be well characterised as θύραι δεδικτυομέναι which according to Lenoir was the name of these windows. If coloured glass was used in S. Sophia, we think it can only have been in small windows of this kind in the apse and conchs. Labarte thought, from the descriptions of Procopius and Paulus, that the windows were of white glass which allowed the rays of the sun to shine through unaltered. It is hardly possible to conceive of the great windows being of anything else than white glass.
A fragment of “ancient crystalline” glass from S. Sophia was exhibited at the Society of Antiquaries in 1876. It is described as only “one sixteenth of an inch thick, and nearly colourless except for iridescence.”