Six Silver Plates with Scenes from the Early Life of David in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, August 2007

Six Silver Plates with Scenes from the Early Life of David
Cast, hammered, engraved, punched, and chased
Byzantine; found in 1902 at Caravas, Cyprus
Made 629-630 in Constantinople

Accession # 17.190.394-.399

In 628-629 the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius (reigned 610-641) defeated the Persian general Razatis in single-handed combat, successfully ending a long costly war with Persia and regaining Jerusalem, Egypt, and other Byzantine territory. In his "Chronicle" the contemporary Frankish author Fredegar said Heraclius "advanced to the fray like a second David." These masterpieces, marked on their backs with silver stamps dating to 613-629/630 of Heraclius' reign may refer to his victory. Elaborate dishes used for display at banquets by citizens of the Empire showing their wealth and learning usually depicted classical themes. These may be the earliest surviving example of the use of biblical scenes for such displays. Their intended arrangement may have closely followed the biblical order of the events depicted, and their display may have conformed to the shape of a Christogram, or monogram for the name of Christ.

Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.