A Masterwork of Byzantine Art - Metropolitan Museum of Art

A CLO S E R L O OKActivities for LearningAMasterwork of Byzantine ArtTHE DAVID PLATES: The Story of David and GoliathTHE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART

A CLO S E R L O OKAMasterwork of Byzantine ArtTHE DAVID PLATES: The Story of David and GoliathA Closer Look is a series of learning-activity sets designed to be used in anyeducational setting. Each packet of materials focuses on one work of art fromThe Metropolitan Museum of Art s encyclopedic collection. The purpose of thesematerials is to inspire young people and adults to look more closely at paintings,sculpture, decorative arts, and architectural spaces, and to discover that detailscan be fascinating and often essential in understanding the meaning of a work of art.Each set in the series may be used as an introduction to looking at a particular workof art, or as a springboard to an in-depth exploration of the work of art and how itreflects the culture in which it was made. It may also be used as a pre-visit activitybefore touring the Museum.This edition of A Closer Look focuses on a masterwork of Byzantine art from thegeneral area indicated in the map below.

This learning activity is made possible through thegenerous support of Mary and Michael Jaharis.© 2001 by The Metropolitan Museum of Art,New YorkPublished by The Metropolitan Museum of Art,New YorkWriters: Esther M. Morales, Michael B. Norris,Alice W. Schwarz, Edith W. WattsEditor: Merantine HensDesigner: Lisa EvancavichCreative and Production Manager: Masha TurchinskyMany thanks to Helen C. Evans, curator, Departmentof Medieval ArtPhotographs of the David Plates in the MetropolitanMuseum’s collection are by the Photograph Studioof The Metropolitan Museum of Art. All otherphotographs are courtesy of the Cyprus Museum,Nicosia. Maps by Adam Hart.Cover: detail, The Battle of David and GoliathInside front and back cover: detail, David’sMarriage to MichalContents page: detail, The Summoning of DavidPage 19: detail, The Battle of David and GoliathBack cover: proposed display of the nine David PlatesISBN 0-87099-993-1Library of Congress Control Number: 2001088283

C O N T E N T SHOW TO USE THESE MAT E R I A L S 5G O A L S 5BACKGROUND INFORMAT I O NHistorical Backgro u n d 6The David Plates 7Museum Connections 8The Scenes Depicted in the David Plates 9A C T I V I T I E S 1 5KEY WORDS 1 8R E S O U R C E S 1 9

H OW TO USETHESE MAT E R I A L SPlease be familiar with the BackgroundInformation before introducing theactivities in this packet to your group.G OA L S• To learn to look closely at a work of artand consider line, shape, color, texture,and composition.We recommend that the activities bepresented in order. Activity 1 introducesthe largest plate and is based on developingobservational skills. Looking at the largestplate leads to Activity 2, an art activity aboutportraying narratives. Activity 3 is a writingactivity: The participants are asked to imagineand write about events that might haveoccurred in David’s life before and after hisbattle with Goliath. In Activity 4, readingthe biblical story reveals the subject matterof the nine plates and an art activity givesthe students an opportunity to create theirown narrative artwork that tells this story.Activity 5 begins with a discussion aboutthe function of the plates, and an exercise todetermine their original arrangement follows.We encourage you to adapt or build on thesematerials to suit the needs of your group.Please feel free to photocopy any of thesematerials and distribute them to the studentsas necessary.• To understand that art is a form ofcommunication. In these silver plates, thecarvers not only illustrate a well-knownbiblical story; they may also be suggestinga parallel between King David and theByzantine emperor.• To learn that a work of art can provideinformation about the ideals and beliefs ofthe society in which it was made, in this casethe early Byzantine Empire.• To learn how artists illustrate narratives intheir work by selecting key events and byusing symbols to help convey the meaningof a scene.• To learn what relief sculpture is and that itrequires great skill in design and production.Opposite: detail, David Anointed by Samuel5

BAC KG ROUND INFORMAT I O NHistorical BackgroundAccording to legend, Rome was founded in753 B.C. As a non-Christian state, it lastedalmost 1,100 years. During that span of timeit changed from a government of limiteddemocracy (a republic) to one ruled by adespot, called an emperor (from the Latinimperator, or “general”). Roman territorygrew to such an extent that the enormousGreek world, based on the conquests ofAlexander the Great and stretching fromGreece to India and from Turkey to Egypt,was only a fraction of its empire.In 324 A.D. Constantine I, the first ChristianRoman emperor, began to build a new capital,Constantinople (now Istanbul), on the site ofthe Greek port town of Byzantion. Not onlywas this city centered strategically betweenthe western and eastern halves of the RomanEmpire, but it also commanded the overlandtrade routes between Europe and the East,as well as the shipping lanes connecting theMediterranean and the Black Seas (see Map 1).The state ruled from there would be calledByzantium. Constantinople remained thecapital city of the empire for another 1,100years until it fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453.Constantine I lavished art and architectureupon his new capital city, with a great churchat its heart. In the fifth century, the westernpart of the Roman Empire fell to invaders.While later emperors usually controlled onlythe eastern part of the Roman Empire (todaycalled the Byzantine Empire), they stillcontinued ambitious construction projects,such as the domed church of Hagia Sophia(Holy Wisdom). (Built by Justinian I between532 and 537 A.D., Hagia Sophia is still thethird largest cathedral in the world.)The Byzantine Empire combined Romanpolitical and legal institutions, traditionalGreek culture, and Christianity. It continuedthe classical system of education that includedteaching ancient Greek literature, philosophy,science, medicine, art, and rhetoric. Thetextbooks of this system preserved theliterature of ancient Greece, including Homer.Even the church, which developed its ownliterature and philosophy, accepted this paganGreek schooling.In the later sixth and seventh centuries, thebroad historical context for the David Plates,Byzantium lost vast tracts of its territoriesto nomadic peoples from the north and toPersians and Muslims from the east.Byzantine Empire under Justinian I (525-565 A.D.)6Map 1

The David PlatesThis beautiful and exceptionally important setof nine silver plates, dated 629 to 630, wasdiscovered with two other silver plates in 1902in Karavas in northern Cyprus (see Map 2). Theplates were found hidden near a small horde ofgold jewelry. Most of this treasure came to theMetropolitan Museum from the collection ofJ. Pierpont Morgan. Six of the David Plates arein the Metropolitan’s collection and are on viewin the Mary and Michael Jaharis Galleries forByzantine Art on the first floor (in the longcorridor gallery on the right of the GrandStaircase, as approached from the Great Hall).The other three plates are in the collection ofthe Cyprus Museum in Nicosia, Cyprus.Map 2Elaborate dishes such as the David Plates hadlong been used for display by the aristocracyand imperial court of the Byzantine Empire.The dishes’ costly material and artistry wereindications of the wealth of their owners, whilethe usual classical themes of the decorationindicated their learning. The low-relief sceneson the David Plates—with the figures’ realisticmusculature, body movements, and draperypatterns, as well as the clarity and balance ofthe compositions—offer proof of the continuityof Greco-Roman traditions in Byzantine art.Yet the decoration of the David Plates isunique in that it presents incidents from theearly life of the Jewish hero David as told in1 Samuel 16–18 in the Old Testament ofthe Bible.In eleven scenes, David is summoned fromhis flock of sheep to meet the prophet Samuel;he is anointed the new king of Israel by Samuel(since King Saul of Israel is no longer in God’sfavor); David argues with his brother Eliabafter he comes into Saul’s camp and hearsabout the reward for killing the giant Goliath,the champion of the enemy Philistines; Davidoffers to fight Goliath, countering Saul’s worrythat he is just a boy by telling the king that hehas killed the lions and bears that havethreatened his sheep; Saul provides David witharmor for his oncoming fight, but Daviddecides not to wear it; David and Goliathconfront each other and the young herosuccessfully slays the giant (presented in threescenes); and finally, David is married to Saul’sdaughter Michal, as part of his reward forkilling Goliath.The medium and small plates undoubtedlywere intended to surround the largest, whichdramatically shows the Battle of David andGoliath. The arrangement of the nine platesmay have closely followed the biblical orderof the events, and their display may haveconformed to a type of a Christogram, ormonogram for the name of Christ, whichcombines a cross and the Greek letter χ(chi, pronounced ki, as in “pie”). Thearrangement of the plates according tothis pattern (see diagram shown above) isintroduced in Activity 5 of this resource.7

8The extremely fine quality of the David Platespoints to production in the palace workshopsof Constantinople, which had a monopoly onthe manufacture of certain luxury goods. Themaking of each plate began with hammeringout a round shape from a single cast-silveringot. (The plate showing the Battle of Davidand Goliath weighs twelve pounds and tenounces of pure silver!) Perhaps inspired bymanuscript illustrations of David’s life, anartist drew or traced the outlines of thepictures on the surface of the plates. Usinghammers the silversmiths raised the roughforms from the surrounding background.Then, using fine chisels, they shaped thefigures’ bodies and costumes in low relief.As finishing touches, the fine details of thecostumes, armor, facial features, and hair werecreated by punching, engraving, and chasing.Although the artists who created these plateswere obviously highly skilled, following thecustom of the times, they did not sign theirnames.On the backs of the plates are the controlstamps of the Byzantine emperor Heraclius(r. 610–641), which ensured the purity of theplates’ silver. These stamps, together withdetails on the plates themselves—such as theceremonial scenes on the medium-sized platesthat take place before a central arch atop acolonnade, an architectural feature often usedin art as a backdrop for Byzantine imperialevents, and the figures who are portrayed inByzantine court costume—offer the intriguingidea of linking the David Plates to Heraclius’reign. Indeed, the set may have beencommissioned to celebrate Heraclius’ victoryover the Sasanian Empire in 628–629, whenhis empire retook Byzantine territoriesincluding Jerusalem (the ancient city foundedby King David) as well as taking the Sasanianroyal city of Ctesiphon (near modernBaghdad). During the war with the Sasanians,it is said that Heraclius fought the enemygeneral Razatis in single combat and beheadedhim, an event that echoes David’s defeat ofGoliath and undoubtedly reinforced emperorHeraclius’s claim to be a new David.Roman emperors and aristocratic familiescommissioned lavish silver table settingsfor display and sometimes as gifts to impressothers with their wealth. Interestingly, theSasanian rulers of Persia (mentioned above)also had a tradition of displaying elaboratelydecorated silver plates and presenting themas gifts to symbolize their power. (see MuseumConnections, below)Museum ConnectionsIf you plan to visit the Museum to viewthe David Plates, you may also want to seeexamples of similar works of art in othercollections of the Metropolitan. SilverSasanian plates are on view in the Museum’sAncient Near Eastern galleries on the secondfloor in the south wing. The Sasanian Dynastyruled Persia (Iran) from 224 to 651. Just likethe David Plates, objects such as these wereregarded as status symbols for display andwere also often presented as gifts.Four gilded-silver plates, Persia (Iran),Sasanian period, 5th–6th century A.D.:• Plate with Youths and Winged Horses,Fletcher Fund, 1963 (63.152)• Plate with a Hunting Scene from theTale of Bahram Gur and Azadeh,Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift,1994 (1994.402)• Plate with a King Hunting Four Rams,Fletcher Fund, 1934 (34.33)• Plate with King Yazdgard I Slaying a Stag,Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1970 (1970.6)

The Scenes Depicted in the David PlatesThe following descriptions of the scenesdepicted in the David Plates are presentedin the order of the biblical story. The biblicalpassages provided below the descriptions arealso found on the back of the correspondingactivity cards in this packet.David Anointed by SamuelByzantine, 629–30; one of a set of nine silver plates,diam. 10 1/2 in. (26.7 cm); The Metropolitan Museumof Art, Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917 (17.190.398)The Summoning of DavidByzantine, 629–30; one of a set of nine silver plates,diam. 5 1/2 in. (14 cm); Cyprus Museum, Nicosia,J454The lunette above with the sun, moon, andstars represents the heavens. A messengerhas come to summon David to meet Samuel.David, well known for his lyre playing, isseated below the sun, indicating that heis God’s chosen one. Halos encircle themessenger and David’s heads, emphasizing thesacredness of the event. The presence of thesheep is a reminder that David is a shepherd.1 Samuel 16:11–12Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” Andhe said, “There remains yet the youngest, but he iskeeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Sendand bring him; for we will not sit down until hecomes here.” He sent and brought him in. Now hewas ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome.The Lord said,“Rise and anoint him;for this is the one.”Holding a raised horn full of oil, Samuel isabout to pour it over David’s head to anointhim. David’s father, Jesse, has his hand raisedin a gesture of benediction, while David’sbrothers look on. One of the brothers, Eliab,is on the far right.Under God’s plan, the prophet Samuel cameto Bethlehem, supposedly to offer a sacrifice(1 Samuel 16:1–3). This is why an altar, aheifer, and a sacrificial knife are at the bottomof the plate below Samuel and David. ButSamuel’s true mission was to anoint one ofJesse’s sons as God’s chosen king of Israel,since God had rejected Saul as king. WithGod’s help, Samuel rejected Jesse’s first sevensons and finally sent for the youngest, David,who was watching the family’s sheep—thereason for the ram and shepherd’s staff (shownhorizontally) below Jesse.1 Samuel 16:13Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him inthe presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lordcame mightily upon David from that day forward.9

10D a v i d ’s Confrontation withHis Brother EliabByzantine, 629–30; one of a set of nine silver plates,diam. 5 1/2 in. (14 cm); The Metropolitan Museum ofArt, Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917 (17.190.395)The hand gestures in this scene suggest aheated discussion between David and hisbrother Eliab. Eliab accuses David ofneglecting his duty as a shepherd to watch thebattle with the Philistines. Eliab’s armor andhis shield below identify him as a soldier.David, shown with a halo and the sun over hishead, has heard Goliath’s challenge to fightone Israelite in order to determine the battlebetween the Philistines and the Israelites. Hehas also heard from King Saul’s soldiers aboutthe reward the king has offered for slayingGoliath.1 Samuel 17:28–29His eldest brother Eliab heard him talking to the men[Saul’s soldiers]; and Eliab’s anger was kindledagainst David. [Eliab scolded him for leaving hisflock.] He said, “Why have you come down? Withwhom have you left those few sheep in thewilderness? I know your presumption and the evil ofyour heart; for you have come down just to see thebattle.” David said, “What have I done now? . . .”The Presentation of David to SaulByzantine, 629–30; one of a set of nine silver plates,diam. 10 1/2 in. (26.7 cm); The Metropolitan Museumof Art, Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917 (17.190.397)The artist has chosen the moment when Saulbestows his blessing on David after David hasconvinced him that he should fight Goliath thegiant Philistine. Though depicting biblicalcharacters who lived long before the time ofByzantium, the artists show them asByzantine. Saul sits upon a throne dressed in along-sleeved tunic with a Byzantine imperialchlamys, or cloak, over it. On the front of thechlamys is a tablion, a woven or embroideredpatch of cloth that indicates the rank of thewearer in the Byzantine court. Beneath Saul’sthrone is the reward for defeating Goliath, thebags and basket containing the Roman sparsio,the money distributed to the Roman people byhigh officials at games they sponsored. In theirdress and longer hair, the two Byzantineimperial bodyguards show that they originallycame from German tribes in the West.1 Samuel 17:32–37David said to Saul, “Let no one’s heart fail becauseof him; your servant will go and fight with thisPhilistine.” Saul said to David, “You are not able togo against this Philistine to fight with him; for you arejust a boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keepsheep for his father; and whenever a lion or a bearcame, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after itand struck it down, rescuing the lamb from its mouth;and if it turned against me, I would catch it by thejaw, strike it down, and kill it. Your servant has killedboth lions and bears; and this . . . Philistine shall belike one of them, since he has defied the armies of theliving God.” David said, “The Lord, who saved mefrom the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear,will save me from the hand of this Philistine.” So Saulsaid to David, “Go, and may the Lord be with you!”

David Slaying the BearDavid Slaying the LionByzantine, 629–30; one of a set of nine silverplates, diam. 5 1/2 in. (14cm); The MetropolitanMuseum of Art, Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917,(17.190.194)The following passages are provided on the back ofboth of the activity cards illustrating these plates.1 Samuel 17:33–35Saul said to David, “You are not able to go againstthis Philistine to fight with him; for you are just a boy,and he has been a warrior from his youth.” But Davidsaid to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for hisfather; and whenever a lion or a bear came, and tooka lamb from the flock, I went after it and struckit down, rescuing the lamb from its mouth; and if itturned against me, I would catch it by the jaw, strikeit down, and kill it.”1 Samuel 17:37David said, “The Lord, who saved me from the pawof the lion and from the paw of the bear, will save mefrom the hand of this Philistine.” So Saul said toDavid, “Go, and may the Lord be with you!”The Arming of DavidByzantine, 629–30; one of a set of nine silverplates, diam. 10 1/2 in. ( 26.7 cm); The MetropolitanMuseum of Art, Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917(17.190.399)Their halos and central positions identify Sauland David. David wears Roman armor: overhis tunic, a metal breastplate covers his chestand stomach. Protective strips or scales (eitherof metal or leather) hang from his sleevesand short skirt. Saul wears a jeweled orembroidered chlamys, or cloak, over a shortsleevedtunic, which in turn lies on top of along-sleeved undergarment with embroideredcuffs. These removable cuffs, stitched withgold thread, were worn by the elite, includingthe Byzantine emperor. An attendant places abronze helmet on David’s head. Two soldiersframe the balanced scene. Below are a bowand a shield for David’s use.1 Samuel 17:38–39Saul clothed David with his armor; he put a bronzehelmet on his head and clothed him with a coat ofmail. David strapped Saul’s sword over the armor, andhe tried in vain to walk, for he was not used to them.Then David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these,for I am not used to them.” So David removed them.11

The Battle of David and GoliathByzantine, 629–30; one of a set of nine silver plates,diam. 19 1 / 2 in. (49.5 cm); The Metropolitan Museumof Art, Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917 (17.190.396)12TOP REGISTERThe towers indicate the two towns near whichthe Israelites and the Philistines are about toclash. David, who has shed Saul’s heavya r m o r, confronts Goliath. Borrowed fromclassical antiquity, the seated figure betweenthem personifies a stream, as suggested bythe marsh grass he holds and the water thatpours from the jug at his side. (It is from thisstream that David gathers the stones he usesto fight Goliath.) David appears composed,sure of God’s protection, symbolized by thehand of God pointing to him from the heavens.His shepherd’s staff has been transformed intoan imperial scepter with an orb at the top.1 Samuel 17:42–47When the Philistine looked and saw David, hedisdained him, for he was only a youth, ruddy andhandsome in appearance. The Philistine said to David,“Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” A n dthe Philistine cursed David by his gods. The Philistinesaid to David, “Come to me, and I will give your fleshto the birds of the air and to the wild animals of thefield.” But David said to the Philistine, “You come tome with sword and spear and javelin; but I come toyou in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of thearmies of Israel, whom you have defied. This very daythe Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I willstrike you down and cut off your head; and I will givethe dead bodies of the Philistine army this very day tothe birds of the air and to the wild animals of theearth, so that all the earth may know that there is aGod in Israel, and that all this assembly may knowthat the Lord does not save by sword and spear; forthe battle is the Lord’s and he will give you into ourh a n d . ”CENTER REGISTERDavid raises his left arm to ward off Goliath’sarmed advance while readying his slingshot inhis right hand. The Israelite and Philistinesoldiers stand behind their leaders.1 Samuel 17:48–49When the Philistine drew nearer to meet David,David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet thePhilistine. David put his hand in his bag, took outa stone, slung it, and struck the Philistine on hisforehead; the stone sank into his forehead, and hefell face down on the ground.BOTTOM REGISTERDavid decapitates Goliath with a large sword.His slingshot and stones visually counterbalanceGoliath’s powerful shield and arms.1 Samuel 17:50–51So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling anda stone, striking down the Philistine and killing him;there was no sword in David’s hand. Then David ranand stood over the Philistine; he grasped his sword,drew it out of its sheath, and killed him; then he cuto ff his head with it. When the Philistines saw that theirchampion was dead, they fled.In all three scenes, David wears a halo, anattribute of his holiness.

NOTES:D a v i d ’s Marriage to MichalByzantine, 629–30; one of a set of nine silver plates,diam. 10 1/2 in. (26.7 cm); Cyprus Museum, Nicosia,J452Here David receives his reward for slayingGoliath. On the ground lies the monetaryreward, shown as the bags and basketcontaining the Roman sparsio, the moneydistributed to the Roman populace by highofficials at games they sponsored. Above,David and Michal, Saul’s second daughter,join their right hands in the dextrarum junctio(“joining of the right hands”) during a Romanmarriage ceremony presided over by Saul,who in imperial dress stands upon a platform.Two figures, one on either side of the centralgroup, play celebratory flute music.1 Samuel 17:24–25All the Israelites, when they saw the man [Goliath],fled from him and were very much afraid. TheIsraelites said, “Have you seen this man who hascome up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. Theking will greatly enrich the man who kills him, andwill give him his daughter and make his family free inIsrael.”1 Samuel 18:27Saul gave him [David] his daughter Michal as a wife.13

AC T I V I T I E S1 .A looking activity to introducethe largest David Plate showingthe Battle of David and GoliathDisplay the poster of the largest plate to thegroup (or project the slide of the same plate)without giving any information about it. Askeach student, or small groups of students, tostudy the plate for a few minutes and to makenotes about what appears to be happening inthe three scenes. Then ask the class thefollowing questions:THE CENTRAL SCENE• How does the artist draw our attention tothe main characters in this narrative?• What details identify the hero?• Why did the artist place two figures on eachside of the scene?THE BOTTOM SCENE• What is the final act of the battle?THE TOP SCENE• What is happening? (This depiction wouldnot be familiar today. When the plateswere made, however, visual symbols knownto the audience clearly identified this event.The bearded man seated in the center holdinga marsh grass is the personification of a river.His presence tells us that David and Goliathare speaking to each other across a river.)• Does this part of the story occur before orafter the battle? How can you tell?• What details identify David and Goliath?• What might the direction of their glances andthe pose of their raised arms mean?• Within a semicircle above there is a circleand crescent. What do they symbolize?Whose hand is that pointing toward Davidand what does the gesture mean?2 . An art activityTalk about how the designer of the plateplaced the beginning, middle, and end of thenarrative in registers (or sections, stacked oneafter another).Discuss the way he focuses our attention onthe key actions and includes identifyingsymbols so that we can decipher the story.(You may also discuss the meaning behindparticular symbols and gestures in modern andancient cultures that your students might bestudying.)Have each student choose a well-knownnarrative, whether religious or secular, frombooks or television. Ask the students to thinkabout the key figures and events. Then askthem to draw, paint, or create on a computer aposter, without words, that combines severalparts of the story.Show each completed artwork to the rest ofthe class to see if the other students can guesswhat the story is. This activity can lead to adiscussion about how we can convey thepassage of time through images.3 . A writing activityAfter discussing how the artist portrayed thebattle between David and Goliath, suggest thatthe students write a narrative about David’slife before his first meeting with the giant andwhat events might have happened in David’slife after he killed Goliath.Please note that the plates illustrated on theposter and the activity cards are reproduced at80% of actual size.Opposite: detail, The Presentation of David15

4 . An activity to introduce the other5 .David PlatesAn activity to learn about the function anddisplay of the David PlatesBefore showing your students the images ofthe eight other plates, ask them if they knowanything about David’s life before and afterhis battle with Goliath. Divide the class intoeight teams. Give each team one of the activitycards face down so that they are unable to seethe image on the front. Briefly summarize thebiblical story using the excerpts provided inthe Background Information, or ask each teamto choose someone to read out loud thebiblical passage on the back of each plate.Then ask each team—as a group orindividually—to draw a picture of the storythat is told on the back of their plate withoutlooking at the picture on the front. When theyhave finished, ask each team to turn their plateover and present their drawings to the class.Everyone can then join in comparing theirrenditions with those on the David Plates.What key events did the designer of the plateschoose to tell the story? How does theselection of key events on the plates differfrom that made by the class?Begin a discussion about the function ofthe plates:• What kind of person would have ownedthe David Plates?• Could David’s victory over Goliath havehad a personal meaning to the originalowner?• How were the plates used?• How might they have been displayed?(Answers are provided in the BackgroundInformation)Spread the nine plates on a large table or tackthem randomly on a large board. Discuss thechronological order of the plates and arrangethem that way. Then show the students theChristogram on the opposite page. Ask themto put the plates in order according to thispattern. Compare their arrangement of theplates with the one that is thought by arthistorians to be most likely (see back coverof this booklet). This is only one possiblearrangement; any other order the group hasdecided upon is valid if the students havegood reasons for it.16

C H R I S T O G R A M

KEY WO R D Sanointto designate or bless through the ritual actof rubbing or pouring oil upon someonechasingthe art of ornamenting a metal surface withindentations by striking small blunt toolswith a hammerchlamysa wide, short cloak often worn by horsemenChristograma combination of a cross and the Greekletter chi, or χ,making one of the types ofmonograms meaning Christcolonnadea series of evenly spaced columns that supporthorizontal beams and often a roof structuredextrarum junctioin Latin “the joining of the right hands”during a Roman marriage ceremonyengravingincising (scratching) a design on thesurface of metal with a thin, sharp toolheifera young cow that has not yet given birthimperatorthe Latin word for general, from whichthe word emperor is derivedJustinian Iearly Byzantine emperor who ruled from527 to 565 A.D.; his armies reconqueredformer imperial Roman territories includingNorth Africa and ItalyPhilistinesrivals of the Israelites for control of thePalestine regionpunch (punching)a slender, tapered tool with a design cutinto its point; by tapping the other end,the design is stamped into the surfacerelief sculptureany work in which figures project fromthe background; in low relief the figuresproject only slightly and in high reliefthe figures project at least half of theirnatural circumferenceSasanian Dynastythe Sasanians ruled Persia (Iran) and muchof Southwest Asia from 224 to about 651 A.D.;they were the last native rulers of this regionbefore the Muslim conquestssparsiothe money distributed to the Roman peopleby high officials at games they sponsoredtablionbadge of office in the form of a richlywoven or embroidered patch of clothapplied to cloaks18

R E S O U RC E SAll biblical excerpts in this resource aretaken from Metzger, Bruce M., and Roland E.Murphy, eds., The New Oxford AnnotatedBible with the Apocryphal/DeuterocanonicalBooks, New Revised Standard Version, NewYork: Oxford University Press, 1994.Evans, Helen C., The Metropolitan Museum ofArt Bulletin 58 (Spring 2001). Forthcoming.Barrett, Tracy. Anna of Byzantium. New York:Delacorte, 1999.Eds. of Time-Life Books. What Life Was LikeAmid Splendor and Intrigue. Alexandria,Virginia: Time-Life Books, 1998.Evans, Helen C., and William W. Wixom, eds.The Glory of Byzantium: Art and Culture ofthe Middle Byzantine Era, A.D. 843–1261. NewYork: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1997.Laiou, Angeliki, ed. Byzantium, A WorldCivilization. Washington, D.C.: DumbartonOaks Research Library and Collections, 1992.Weiztmann, Kurt. Age of Spirituality: LateAntique and Early Christian Art, Third toSeventh Century. New York: The MetropolitanMuseum of Art, 1979.Wander, Steven H. “The Cyprus Plates: TheStory of David and Goliath.” MetropolitanMuseum Journal 8 (1973): 89–104.Video: The Western Tradition, parts 15 and 16.Santa Barbara: Annenberg/CPB project, 1989.The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Web site:www.metmuseum.org/explore/byzantium/byzhome.html19

What do you think?We would love to hear what you think ofthis edition of A Closer Look. Did you adaptthe activities to suit your particular needs?How did the students respond to the activities?Your observations will help us improve oureducational resources.Please send your comments to:A Closer Look: The David PlatesEducation/The Metropolitan Museum of Art1000 Fifth AvenueNew York, NY 10028-0198or e-mail to education@metmuseum.orgThank you.