Light from the East? Byzantine Enamels in Cross-Cultural Context (Ninth through Eleventh Centuries) 

Organizers: Antje Bosselmann-Ruickbie, Justus Liebig University Giessen, and Shannon Steiner, Independent Scholar

Byzantine enamels on gold were high-quality luxury artworks, essential for imperial and religious representation and ‘international’ diplomacy. With their combination of brilliant translucent and opaque colors, they were more than decorative objects, also representing the high level of technology in Byzantium. This session will consider Byzantine enamels from an intercultural perspective and compare contemporary developments in the Carolingian and Ottonian West, as well as the Fatimid world. Especially in focus will be technology and ‘cultural competition’ in this historical period, formative for the relations of these three ‘global’ players.