Panel of a Diptych Announcing the Consulship of Justinian
Justinian, who would be the greatest emperor of the early Byzantine period, presented this handsome ivory panel (one of two forming a diptych, see acc. no. 17.190.52) to a member of the Roman Senate announcing his election as consul. The title, now largely honorific, was once that of supreme magistrate of the Roman Republic. Once hinged together with the names of the other consuls inscribed in wax on the interior, the panels were probably presented as an invitation to the great public games that new consuls hosted in Constantinople’s hippodrome (stadium). The elegantly carved classical motifs focused attention on the inscriptions written in Latin, still the official language of the Empire.
Artwork Details
- Title: Panel of a Diptych Announcing the Consulship of Justinian
- Date: 521
- Geography: Made in Constantinople
- Culture: Byzantine
- Medium: Ivory
- Dimensions: Overall: 13 7/8 x 5 3/8 x 3/8 in. (35.2 x 13.7 x 1 cm)
- Classification: Ivories-Bone
- Credit Line: Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
- Object Number: 17.190.53
- Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Byzantine
521
Byzantine
late 900s
Byzantine
mid-10th century
Byzantine
mid-900s
Syrian (?)
900–950
Related Content
Publications
Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.
Free to download
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.