INV. NO. 1717
Copper alloy; h. 12.6 x w. 9.1 cm.
Provenance: In the collection of the Princes of Oettingen-Wallerstein, Stift Mainhingen, Bavaria, from at least the nineteenth century; Belgian private collection; with Alexander Rudigier, Munich; Wyvern Collection, UK, 2012.
At the centre of this small copper-alloy plaque stands a haloed male figure, identified as St Theodore Stratelates by the two cast inscriptions on either side of him. The saint is depicted bearded and wearing military dress consisting of a cuirass and pteryges (leather or multi-layered fabric strips or lappets) which hang from his shoulders like epaulettes and from his waist to form an armoured skirt, as well as a chlamys (cloak). In his right hand he holds a spear, while his left hand rests on a shield; behind his back hangs a large sword suspended from a shoulder strap.
As one of the most popular warrior saints in Byzantine society, the presentation of Theodore Stratelates as a soldier was customary. Representations of the saint in this form during the Middle Byzantine period occur across a variety of media and scales, including wall paintings, mosaics, ivories, steatites and cameos. Examples include the mosaic in the south arch of the nave of Hosios Loukas, Boeotia, Greece (fig. 1), and Wyvern Collection inv. 444, a steatite icon depicting him alongside St Theodore Teron (fig. 2).
fig. 1. Saint Theodore, Hosios Loukas Monastery (nave, south arch), Boeotia, Greece, early 11th century, mosaic. Image: public domain.
This copper-alloy plaque dates to the eleventh century, during the height of the cult of Theodore Stratelates in Byzantium, which flourished between the tenth and twelfth centuries. The relief of the saint is framed by a plain raised border, pierced at the top with a hole for suspension or for securing it within a larger setting; a second hole can be found between the saint’s ankles. It is likely that the Wyvern plaque was once fixed into a frame or mount. Although relatively large and weighing 560 grams, it may have been worn, suspended from a cord for ceremonial purposes, or - more likely - hung on a wall for protection and prayer. The reverse is plain but has a rough surface revealing the casting process.
fig. 2. Saint Theodore Stratelates and Saint Theodore Teron, Byzantine, 11th or 12th century, schist; h. 12 x w. 10 cm. Image: Wyvern Collection, UK.
The Wyvern copper-alloy plaque is of very high quality and can be compared with the finest surviving Byzantine copper-alloy reliefs.
This text is based on two entries in Paul Williamson, The Wyvern Collection Medieval and Later Ivory Carvings and Small Sculpture (London, 2019), nos. 19 (pp.43) and 20 (pp.44-45).