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'Being' in Constantinople (4Th-15Th Centuries) Witnessed Through the Testimony of Precious Textiles

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'Being' in Constantinople (4Th-15Th Centuries) Witnessed Through the Testimony of Precious Textiles Anna Muthesius TH TH WITNESSED THROUGH THE TESTIMONY OF PRECIOUS TEXTILES Το άρθρο ερευνά με ποιο τρόπο τα πολύτιμα ενδύματα The article investigates how precious textiles came οδήγησαν στην ενσωμάτωση της «ύπαρξης στην Κων- to embody ‘being in Constantinople’ at different σταντινούπολη» σε διαφορετικά επίπεδα εμπειρίας με- levels of experience between the 4th-15th centu- ταξύ του 4ου και του 15ου αιώνα. Το θέμα εξετάζεται ries. The subject is explored through close analysis με λεπτομερή ανάλυση των «υπάρξεων» που εμπεριέ- of the different types of ‘being’ involved and of χονται και με την εντύπωση που προκαλούσαν τα πο- the impact of precious textiles within ceremonial λύτιμα υφάσματα‘BEING’ στην τελετουργική IN CONSTANTINOPLE και λειτουργική and ritual(4 enactment,-15 CENTURIES) on those distinct categories αναπαράσταση σε αυτές τις ξεχωριστές κατηγορίες της of being. The article concludes that precious tex- ύπαρξης. Το άρθρο καταλήγει στο ότι τα πολύτιμα υφά- tiles were ‘synonymous with being at different lev- σματα ήταν συνώνυμα με την «ύπαρξη σε διαφορετικά els’ in Constantinople by the 15th century. επίπεδα» στην Κωνσταντινούπολη έως τον 15ο αιώνα. Λέξεις κλειδιά Keywords Precious textiles; ‘Being’; Ritual and ceremonial; Constan non transcen dental; Performance of T he present paper examines the ways in which the but also in her three volumes of collected studies and in use of precious textiles both reflected and encouraged Πολύτιμα υφάσματα, ‘ύπαρξη’, λειτουργικό και τελετουρ- - γικό, Κωνσταντινούπολη, παράσταση, υπερβατική και μη in the footnotes both to the author’s publications and tinople; Performance-transcendental and - - υπερβατική,economic tenants παρουσίαση that τουunderpinned Κράτους. ‘being’ and more to later relevant bibliography of other authors State. aim here is to cover new ground: that is to attempt to cerned with general trends that appear and persist over * Fellow of the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, a broad period of time rather than with detailed analy Fellow Commoner of Lucy Cavendish College, University1 of sis of narrow specific cases of precious cloths used at Cambridge. [email protected] further later publications. Copious references are given The dating of silks in this study follows that established by the ‘Howthe emergence can ‘being of in the Constantinople’ key political, religious,be defined social and what and author following ten years pioneering technical analysis of all the role did precious textiles play in the creation of this surviving material in over one hundred and twenty European. The sensebroadly of normsbeing?’ of existence, in Constantinople, between Byzantine Silk Weaving the Itfourth is not and the the primary fifteenth purpose centuries. of the The paper paper to is enter con- 1 into detailed discussion of the precious silk textiles “Silk Culture and ‘Being’ in Byzantium: - How far did precious cloth enrich ‘Memory’ and shape ‘Culture’ DChAE any one particular date. The paper specifically asks, church treasuries and in museums all over the world, as subse- ΔΧΑΕ quently published in A. Muthesius, , Vien- na 1997. For some of the theoretical aspects of the present paper, refer to A. Muthesius, cited. These silks have been the subject of very exten- across the Empire (4th-15th centuries)?”, 36 (2015), 345- ΔΧΑΕ_38_17_Muthesius.indd 333 8/5/2017 12:10:14 πμ sive publication by the author elsewhere, not only in 362, with further bibliography. her seminal corpus of the surviving Byzantine textiles, ΛΗ΄ (2017), 333-354 333 ANNA MUTHESIUS understand the role that the precious cloths might have precious cloths were central to this kind of public dis played within forging a sense of personal and of col the sense of concrete actions undertaken by humans us guishes between how far individual ‘being’ as a personal - finds that Byzantine ‘being’ can be seen to touch upon- play, whether in the form of ‘transcendental’ evocation lective ‘being’ to be enjoyed by citizens of Constanti- Christof divine on blessingprecious or cloths as secular might ‘non-transcendental’ have been used to pro ex- nople. The paper first explores aspects of the complex pression of Imperial power and authority. conceptThe paperof Byzantine then proceeds ‘being’. briefly It considers to summarise ‘being’ someboth The discussion of the second and third concepts (‘be- keyin the points sense aboutof actual the physical physical human and historical existence, context and in ing’ and the ‘reality of being’ in Constantinople), distin- within which the use of precious cloths operated in- ing objects such as precious cloth, as an expression of displayedreactive experience, during public and Imperialcollective victoryreactive parades ‘being’ orto human existence. In the two senses described, the paper public display, might have differed. For example, sub- tion to what sort of urban infrastructure supported the collectiveject matter or such group as messages the Crucifixion of Imperial and powerDeposition and au of the relationship (body and soul) of man to nature and - to God. rialvoke ideology heightened and emotional to promote response a sense andof the to affectstability indi of- vidual spiritual well being. On the other hand, precious atextile sense flags, of secular banners well and being costumes for citizens with symbolic of Constanti secu- lar Imperial eagle, griffin, hunter and charioteer motifs, Constantinople as a developing urban centre, between The paper concludes with the suggestion that the use the fourth and the fifteenth centuries. It draws atten- ofused precious during cloth Palace in ceremonies,Constantinople primarily within transmittedpublic ritu al and ceremonial context was so marked as to become- development of the textile industry in the Capital (Im- thority. These secular messages acted to transmit Impe- onperial the andcloths non specifically Imperial institutions,selected? public spaces for display of the cloths, and public facilities to sustain the the State. The latter type of message acted to promote conceptstextile workers). in greater The detail: paper ‘Constantinople next raises questions of collective about ‘transcendental’ and ‘non transcendental’ were blend- the ‘mentalities’, which drove the silk industryreality of Con of- ednople. through enactments involving use of precious cloth stantinople. It questions what social norms might have consideredaffected the in types relation of precious to the textilesreflection in productionof Byzantine and - ‘mentalities’what were the as differentthey were revealedmessages throughembedded the into use theof precious cloths, and it asks why were different motifs synonymous with Byzantine ‘being’ (non-transcenden- Outlinetal physical, definition sensory of and ‘being’ material, and transcendental Subsequently, the paper proceeds to explore three andspiritual of ‘being and inemotional Constantinople’ ‘being’). At some points the - memory’; ‘being in Constantinople’, and the ‘ being in the Constantinople’. These three concepts are perwithin returns the Byzantinehere to a morecourt, detailed so as totheoretical reflect the discus com- bined ‘divine’ and secular nature of Imperial office. Thisthe precious display textiles.included symbolic expression of ‘transcen The first concept (‘Constantinople of collective A useful source for the historical understanding memory’) deals with how Constantinople’s pagan past, its Roman heritage, and its theocratic Christian present Aristotle East and West. were melded together to form a ‘collective memory’ (or Following the general outline presented above, the pa- type of ‘mental image’ held in common), through which - Constantinople could be celebrated. Within this concept sion of how the Byzantines mightΔΧΑΕ have viewed ‘being’, lies the idea of the City as a stage for public display. and what it might have meant to enjoy that type of ‘be- - ing’ in the context of living in Constantinople. dental’ belief, such as ‘the idea of the Imperial court as ΔΧΑΕ_38_17_Muthesius.inddreflection 334 of the celestial hierarchy’, or ‘the good order of the definition of ‘being’ in Byzantium, is found 8/5/2017in 12:10:14 πμ of Church and State’. The paper goes on to argue that the work of D. Bradshaw, ΛΗ΄ (2017), 333-354 334 ‘BEING’ IN CONSTANTINOPLE (4TH-15TH CENTURIES) Metaphysics and the Division of Christendom shaw traced the understanding of ‘being’ from Aristotle through to what he termed ‘the world view of Eastern PG Bradshaw then proceeds to take the concept of ener- 2 geia 8 templating the most knowable of all things’ . Brad- ultimatelyitself, and beyondcame ‘to anything be counted that as is amongst said or conceivedthe paradig of Bradshaw also pointed to Aristotle’s distinction be maticHim, whether energeiai simply of God’ or in a certain way.’ (Ambigua 10, ered 91, many 1180D) things:. ‘the status and meaning of nature; the Christendom’. Bradshaw quoted Aristotle’s view on de- grees of being, ‘Now if living is, alike for every animal, as introduced by Aristotle (as part of the actuality 3 relationship of symbols and images to their prototypes; its true being, it is clear that the one who will ‘be’, in the and reality of being), to show how this term was refined of theory to practice; of person9 as a category irreducible highestBradshaw degree sawand thethe mostbroad proper doctrinal sense, history is the thinker, of the toand nature; developed of the in nature East Christian of God and thought, of the uppossibility to a point of Eastand mostChristian of all definitionwhen he is of in the action
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