Silver censer from the first Cyprus
treasure
Byzantine, AD 602-10
Found
west of Kyrenia, Cyprus on the ancient site of
Lambousa
A hexagonal hanging censer with portrait
medallions
This censer, together with a bowl , a paten,
and twenty-four spoons, formed part of a hoard of silver found at
the end of the nineteenth century known as the first Cyprus
treasure.
Each of the six
sides bears a medallion formed by the branches of palm leaves which
define the edges of the censer. Within each medallion is a
nimbed
bust. These represent Christ, flanked by the Apostles Peter and
Paul and on the opposite side, the Virgin with John and James.
Christ can be distinguished by his
cruciform
nimbus; Peter by his cross-staff. John, James and Paul all hold
books, while the Virgin wears a veil and
palla
(shawl).
This small vessel,
used for burning incense, would have been carried and swung by its
three chains, now missing. Incense was introduced into the
Christian liturgy after the reign of Constantine the Great, the
emperor (306-337) who made Christianity the official religion of
the Roman Empire. Open censers like this represent an early form,
known from depictions on Early Byzantine mosaics at S. Vitale in
Ravenna. They were only rarely made in precious metal. This example
can be dated by five control stamps on the bottom, one of which is
of the emperor Phocas (602-10).
K. Weitzmann (ed.), Age of spirituality: Late Anti (New York, 1979)
J.P.C. Kent and K.S. Painter (eds.), Wealth of the Roman world, AD (London, The British Museum Press, 1977)