This dissertation re-contextualizes the types, uses, and meanings of reliquaries in the Middle Byzantine period (843–1204).
Relics are the remains of—or the materials associated with—Christ, the Mother of God, apostles, martyrs, and saints. For the faithful,
they were the physical presence of the divine, imbued with miraculous power and grace. Reliquaries are the containers that enshrined,
protected, and displayed this sacred matter. They are/were made of lavish materials—gold, silver, gems, and pearls—which conferred honor
upon, and testified to the spiritual value of, the contents. Numerous Middle Byzantine reliquaries survive or are known through textual
descriptions, but there has not been a study that examines these objects as a group. This dissertation fills this gap, charting out a
paradigm for understanding the forms and functions of these objects. I take as my focus those reliquaries inscribed with metrical
inscriptions, or epigrams. These texts provide a great deal of information about reliquaries, and they served a variety of functions—as
ex-voto prayers, as expressions of identity, as performative texts, and as descriptions of the objects that they accompany. I demonstrate
that epigrams are also visual, functioning as but one part of the reliquaries' complex visual programs in which word, image, and sacred
matter converge, complement, and interact with each other. I examine the mechanisms of these interactions, revealing the messages they
conveyed on behalf of the patrons and the ways in which reliquaries and epigrams functioned in the artistic and literary culture of
Byzantium. Chapter 1, "Introduction," defines the critical terms of this dissertation, presents an overview of the scholarship, and
outlines my methodological contributions. Chapters 2 and 3 introduce the reader to the forms and functions of reliquaries in the Middle
Byzantine period, and are thus the foundation for the dissertation. Chapter 2 outlines the different types of reliquaries that were
inscribed with epigrams. It presents aspects of their design and form, including imagery and the placement of the epigrams. Chapter 3
provides a brief historical survey of the various contexts in which reliquaries were used, from personal possessions to public veneration
practices. Chapters 4–6 focus on epigrams. Chapter 4 examines the ways in which epigrams—both in content and placement—function to make
relics visually and haptically accessible to the faithful. Chapter 5 explores the relationship between reliquary and metaphor. What are
the ways in which the ekphrastic character of epigrams describes, interprets, and presents reliquaries for and to their owners? Chapter 6
situates reliquaries in the context of religious gift-giving by addressing the various ways in which a patron articulates his/her
identity, connection with a holy figure, and what he/she hopes to receive in return. Chapter 7 presents my conclusions concerning the
forms of reliquaries, relic accessibility, viewer interpretations, and patron motivations. The Appendices catalogue the 74 Middle
Byzantine reliquaries inscribed with epigrams. The case studies I present in these chapters demonstrate that Middle Byzantine reliquaries
with epigrams are/were a complex system of texts, images, relics, and materials that interact with each other. I demonstrate that
epigrams—in addition to being textual—have visual and spatial dimensions, wrapping the exterior, interior, front, back, and sides of
reliquaries. They are dynamic texts that pulled the viewers in and taught them how to see, interpret, and handle the reliquaries, and how
to access relics. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Art History in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester 2015. / April 6, 2015. / epigrams, epigraphy, inscriptions, patronage, relics, reliquaries / Includes bibliographical references. / Lynn Jones, Professor Directing Dissertation; Robert Romanchuk, University Representative; Paula
Gerson, Committee Member; Stephanie Leitch, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_360375 |
| Contributors | Hostetler, Bradley Alan (authoraut), Jones, Lynn (professor directing dissertation), Romanchuk, Robert (university representative), Gerson, Paula Lieber (committee member), Leitch, Stephanie (committee member), Florida State University (degree granting institution), College of Fine Arts (degree granting college), Department of Art History (degree granting department) |
| Publisher | Florida State University, Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text |
| Format | 1 online resource (366 pages), computer, application/pdf |
| Rights | This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). The copyright in theses and dissertations completed at Florida State University is held by the students who author them. |
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