A Silhouette Enamel at Dumbarton Oaks
Abstract
The Dumbarton Oaks owns in its collection a small silhouette enamel plaque. The plaque depicts a mixed creature comprising of a human head, torso and heads, a feline body and a serpentine tail. The creature holds a music instrument. The intensely Islamicizing features of the plaque pose the question of the Islamic influence in art during the 11th and 12th centuries, but in terms of technical standpoint is purely Byzantine in its technology. In regards to its function the plaque could have belonged either to a piece of jewellery, or to another luxurious ensemble, or finally, it could have belonged to sartorial context by being sewn onto a fabric as part of an elaborate dress.
Article Details
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ZWIRN, S. R. (2011). A Silhouette Enamel at Dumbarton Oaks. Deltion of the Christian Archaeological Society, 24, 393–402. https://doi.org/10.12681/dchae.397
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