Icon with the Koimesis

late 900s

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 303

Images of the Koimesis, or the Dormition in the West, show the Virgin lying on a bier, while her soul, represented as a baby, is offered by Christ to attendant angels who will take it to heaven. The apostles, led by Saints Paul and Peter, stand witness.

Artwork Details

Title: Icon with the Koimesis
Date: late 900s
Geography: Made in probably Constantinople
Culture: Byzantine
Medium: Elephant ivory
Dimensions: Overall: 7 5/16 x 5 13/16 x 7/16 in. (18.6 x 14.8 x 1.1 cm)
Classification: Ivories-Elephant
Credit Line: Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Object Number: 17.190.132
Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

Audio

2715. Icon with the Koimesis

0:00

We're sorry, the transcript for this audio track is not available at this time. Please email info@metmuseum.org to request a transcript for this track.

More Artwork

In the same gallery

In the same medium

From the same time and place

A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.

Icon with the Crucifixion, Elephant ivory, Byzantine — Icon with the Crucifixion
Byzantine
mid-10th century

Panel of a Diptych Announcing the Consulship of Justinian, Ivory, Byzantine — Panel of a Diptych Announcing the Consulship of Justinian
Byzantine
521

Panel of a Diptych Announcing the Consulship of Justinian, Elephant ivory, Byzantine — Panel of a Diptych Announcing the Consulship of Justinian
Byzantine
521

Icon with the Deesis, Elephant ivory, Byzantine — Icon with the Deesis
Byzantine
mid-900s

Mortar, Elephant ivory, Syrian (?) — Mortar
Syrian (?)
900–950

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.