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98 Section 3. BERLIN. Emp. Frederick
Near the. door, fragment of a group of Orpheus; above the door, tutelary
goddess of a town (high relief; 6-7th cent.). — The case at the end of
the room contains painted terracotta vessels, bronze utensils, ampullae
(several of them representing St. Menas between two camels), and terra¬
cotta lamps with Christian emblems. — In the first case on the window
wall, Carvings on bone (to the left pagan, and to the right Christian sub¬
jects); in the second case, Small bronzes (engraved mirrors, engraved
silver cross, etc.). — The glass cases in the middle contain carvings (e. g.
a battle before a besieged town) and bronze utensils, comprising lamps
in the shape of animals. Round the upper part of the walls are hung
frames with embroideries (some with representations copied from the
antique).
We pass through the door under the tutelary-goddess (see above)
into the —
Early-Christian and Byzantine Rooms (6 and 7). In the apse,
at the extreme end to the left, is a *Mosaic from the Church of
San Michele in Affricisco in Ravenna, dating from 545 A.D., ac¬
quired by King Frederick William IV. in 1843.
The mosaic represents the youthful Christ, adored by the archangels.
In the surrounding frieze are the Lamb of God and doves, the symbols of
Christ and the apostles. On the triumphal arch, Christ as Judge of the
World, surrounded by angels bearing the instruments of the Passion and
trumpets. Below, SS. Cosmas and Damianus.
In the same room (7) are several early-Christian sarcophagi and
fragments of others. By the left wall, near the entrance, Sarcophagus
with the story of Jonah (3rd-4th cent.); above, Fragments with
pastoral scenes. By the window wall, Colossal capital from Con¬
stantinople (5th cent.). — Along the side-wall of Room 6, as far as
the green pillar of verde antico, is arranged an important collection
of early Byzantine sculptures. On the pillars are characteristic
Byzantine capitals.
In the first section, End of a sarcophagus from Constantinople, repre¬
senting Christ between two apostles (4-5th cent.); above, ornamental slab
with vase, vine, and drinking peacocks (Syrian, 6th cent.); to the right,
below, a game of balls in the shape of a staircase with scenes from the
circus. Round the door of Room 5 are grouped several ornamental slabs
and architectural fragments; in the pediment a mosaic pioture of Christ
the Merciful (12th cent.). Beyond the door are various representations of
the Madonna in relief, the largest (headless) from Constantinople (10-llth
cent.); beside it a smaller Madonna adoring the Child and, as a pendant,
the Archangel Michael wearing the imperial insignia. — Farther on, beyond
the verde antico column, Mediaeval Italian sculptures showing the Oriental-
Byzantine influence, mostly of an ornamental character. The large, painted
Madonna is by Presbyter Martinus (Tuscan; 1199).
The glass-cases contain smaller Byzantine works of art. In the first
case (near Room 7) are noteworthy ivory carvings: diptych with Christ
between Peter and Paul, and the Virgin between angels (Syro-Egyptian,
6th cent.); scenes from the life of Christ (Roman, 4th cent.); also
ornaments, terracotta lamps, and bronze utensils. In the large glass-case
are small bronzes and ivory carvings: in the middle, *Pyx with Christ
and the apostles (4th cent.); below it, Bronze statuette of St. Peter (Ro¬
man, 4th cent.), and numerous lamps with Christian emblems (some in the
form of doves), etc. In the middle of the second case is a wax mosaic
of the Crucifixion (12th cent.); to the left of it, ivory carvings of the
10-12th cent. (No. 19. Crucifixion, No. 440. Death of the forty martyrs);
to the right, Italian ivory carvings in a style resembling the Byzantine,
grouped round a large late-Byzantine diptych in soapstone.