On two lost medieval Serbian reliquaries the staurothekai of King Stefan Uroš I and Queen Helen
This essay discusses two lost medieval Serbian staurothekai known only from written sources. One, belonging to the Serbian King Stefan Uroš I, was described as a sumptuous item in the Hungarian spoils of war following their victory over the Serbian army in Mačva in 1268. The other staurothe...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Institute for Balkan Studies SASA
2019-01-01
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| Series: | Balcanica |
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| Online Access: | http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0350-7653/2019/0350-76531950039P.pdf |
| Summary: | This essay discusses two lost medieval Serbian staurothekai known only from
written sources. One, belonging to the Serbian King Stefan Uroš I, was
described as a sumptuous item in the Hungarian spoils of war following their
victory over the Serbian army in Mačva in 1268. The other staurotheke, with
an extensive inscription, was Queen Helen’s gift to the monastery of
Sopoćani, a foundation of her husband Uroš I. Based on the available facts,
it has been assumed that this reliquary came into the possession of a
Serbian ruler of the House of Branković in the fifteenth century, eventually
ending up in the Habsburg geistliche Schatzkammer and playing an important
role in the Pietas austriaca programme. It is known from the surviving
descriptions that the staurothekai had the shape of a two armed cross, and
were made of gold and lavishly adorned with precious stones. Apart from
their substantial material worth, documented with precision, both
staurothekai had a distinct sacral meaning and ideological function.
[Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. 177003: Medieval heritage of the Balkans: institutions and culture] |
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| ISSN: | 0350-7653 2406-0801 |