Maps of Power

National Museum in Belgrade

Narodni muzej u Beogradu, Народни музеј у Београду

Begin 01.01.1844
End 31.12.2018

Properties

ID 132753
System Class Group
Case Study Beyond East and West: Sacred Landscapes Duklja and Raška
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Relations

Artifacts (4)
Name Class Description
Bronze Icon from the Patriarchate of Peć Artifact The icon with the representation of the Virgin with the child Christ, of incongruous proportions, is probably the work of a provincial workshop. The gilded bronze icon of small dimensions (5.2 cm × 4.2 cm × 0.5 cm) was made for private use. It was stored in the cavity of the wall of the Church of the Holy Apostles in Peć, built and painted during the 13th century. Today, it is kept in the National Museum in Belgrade (no. 26_2261).
Ciborium from Ulcinj Artifact The ciborium from Ulcinj is one of the oldest (partially) preserved ciboriums. It dates back to the beginning of the 9th century. This ciborium stands out for its relief decoration with figural motifs made in the pre-Romanesque style. On the right is an image of a lion devouring a smaller animal, which on its part devours a bird, referring to the invocation of salvation (Psalm 21:22), and on the left is another lion represented above a palm tree. There is also a partially preserved inscription engraved along the frame of the ciborium. The frontal arcade of the ciborium was found in Ulcinj in 1937. The exact location of the find remains unknown. Then, it was transferred to the National Museum in Belgrade. Since then, it has been part of the permanent exhibition of medieval heritage. In 2005, another fragment belonging to the same structure was identified, allowing scholars to conclude that the ciborium had a rectangular structure and was probably positioned above the altar of the church. Apart from the names of the donors inscribed on the ciborium, namely of Gusma and her husband, the inscription mentions two Byzantine Emperors Leo and Constantine, identified as Leo V (reigned 813-820) and his son Constantine (reigned as co-emperor 813-820). This made it possible to date the ciborium and the church to the years 813-820.
King Radoslav's Ring Artifact The engagement ring of the Serbian King Stefan Radoslav (reigned 1228-1233) was made in gold in 1219. On the "head" of this engagement ring an inscription in the Greek language, written in verse, is engraved, with which he addresses his wife Anna Angelina Komnene Doukaina, the daughter of the ruler of Epirus Theodore Komnenos Doukas. The ring was made in the Byzantine manner, probably in Thessalonica. The exceptionality of this ring is even greater, when one considers that this is the only preserved example that bears the names of members of the imperial and royal families in the act of engagement. Today, the ring is kept in the National Museum in Belgrade.
Miroslav's Gospel Artifact Miroslav's Gospel is the oldest Serbian Cyrillic manuscript and one of the most important Serbian medieval manuscripts. It was probably made for the liturgical needs of the Church of St. Peter in Bijelo Polje (in today's Montenegro) at the end of the 12th century (most likely between 1180 and 1187). The manuscript is named after its ktetor, Prince Miroslav of Hum (the brother of Stefan Nemanja), who is also the founder of the aforementioned Church of St. Peter. The content of the codex is based on the model from Saint Sophia in Constantinople, and the decoration, first of all the three hundred initials, exudes various Western influences - from Carolingian to Romanesque. It is believed that the illuminators came from Italy or Southern Dalmatia. Stylistically different is the miniature with the busts of the Evangelists at the beginning of the manuscript (folio 1v), whose iconographic patterns are seen in the manuscripts of the Christian Orient. It is possible that Miroslav's Gospel was created in some coastal scriptorium, as indicated by certain elements in the language and manner of decoration. It is assumed that it reached the Hilandar Monastery during the formation of its library. The Gospel was kept there until 1896, when the Hilandar brotherhood presented it to the Serbian King Aleksandar I Obrenović (reigned 1889-1903). Today it is kept in the National Museum in Belgrade (inv. no. 1536). Sheet 166 is preserved in the National Library of Russia in Saint Petersburg.