Capital with Bust of the Archangel Michael
Byzantine (Constantinople), c. 1250–1300
Possibly from the Monastery of the Virgin Peribleptos
Marble
The elegant articulation of the bust on this capital is evidence of the artistic revival in Constantinople after its restoration to Byzantine rule in 1261. The archangel Michael, who is identified by an inscription in Greek, wears a jeweled tunic and a diadem and holds both an orb and a staff. These elements of dress and attributes of authority reflect the long-established connection between archangels, who are the guardians of heaven, and the Byzantine emperor, Christ's representative on earth. This image may have been part of the decoration of the upper section of a tomb built into a niche. It is said to have been found near the ruins of the Monastery of the Virgin Peribleptos, established in the early eleventh century by the Byzantine emperor Romanos III Argyros (r. 1028–34), who was buried there. In the Late Byzantine period the site remained important, and the imperial court visited its church annually for the Feast of the Presentation of the Christ Child in the Temple, one of the Twelve Great Feasts (Dodekaorton) of the Orthodox Church.
