Corpus of early Christian and Byzantine silver, 1981–1986
The collection documents approximately 1,500 Byzantine silver vessels and utensils produced for liturgical and domestic use between 300 and 1453 CE within the geographical boundaries of the Roman and Byzantine Empires (as known, ca. 1985). Silver vessels from Western Europe through the seventh century and Veneto-Byzantine silver are included; Sassanian silver, coins, jewelry, armor, icon frames, settings, and ingots are excluded. Mounted photographs of objects correspond to entries in the Silver Corpus Catalog. Each individual object entry includes a description with dimensions and weights provided by published sources and by the holding institutions. An accompanying card catalog serves as an index to the objects; reference cards record bibliography, locations, hoard codes, inscriptions, and object types.
Access and Rights
Access to the collection is by appointment only. Schedule an appointment.
Photographs in this collection were acquired from a wide variety of sources, and in most cases copyright was not transferred. Please consult with ICFA staff to determine whether Dumbarton Oaks owns the rights to a photograph on a case-by-case basis. Request images.
Preferred citation: Corpus of early Christian and Byzantine silver, Dumbarton Oaks, Trustees for Harvard University, Washington, DC.