Maps of Power

True Cross Reliquary, King Stefan Vladislav, Now Lost

Properties

ID 133163
System Class Artifact
Artifact Reliquary
Case Study Beyond East and West: Sacred Landscapes Duklja and Raška , Tabula Imperii Byzantini , TIB 17
Stylistic Classification Byzantine

Description

An 18th century description of a now lost staurotheke, which the Serbian King Stefan Vladislav (reigned 1234-1243) donated to the Athonite Monastery of St. Paul, describes this, today lost, staurotheke. In the upper part of the lid were depicted the Crucifixion and Christ enthroned surrounded by Saints, and in the lower part a king in proskynesis and an inscription in Old Serbian. The inscription, in which the ktetor prays for protection and assistance by the True Cross, reveals not only the identity of the king, but also the role of the relic in the royal ideology of the Nemanjić dynasty.

Relations

Places (1)
Name Class Begin End Description
Monastery of St. Paul, Holy Mount Athos Place None