S. Maria Maggiore (Rome, Italy): Mosaic: Melchizedek Offering Bread and Wine to Abraham

Published/Created:

ca. 440 BCE

Date Depicted:

1975
8000 BC - 499 AD

Notes:

Frequently the Christ figure is represented in a dalmatica. This cape appears to be shaped into a half circle. It is fastened with a medallion at the center front.

Abstract:

Basically a tunic, the dalmatica is the main Early Christian garment. It is introduced to Rome from the Orient and is made of wool, cotton, or silk. Long at first, by the third century the hem moves up to the knee where it stays for the next 500 years. It is always unbelted. Extra fullness in the width is gathered into a decorative neckband. Sleeves are tubular and do not taper. The dalmatica often is over another garment. Clavi are vertical stripes which decorate the front and back of the dalmatica. At first they are simple stripes woven or embroidered into the tunica tolaris. Eventually they are highly decorative, with matching borders added to the hem, neck, upper arm, and wrist. Clavi sometimes break into spot designs called segmentum. The tunica tolaris, belted or unbelted, is still popular among the Romans. It is floor length for women and knee length for men. Sleeves are long and tapering.

Topics:

Mosaics -- Italy -- 5th century -- (YVRC)

Culture:

Early Christian

Accession Number:

4388-166

Genre:

costume (mode of fashion): clothing (AAT)
mosaics (AAT)

Format:

Image

Content Type:

Clothing & Accessories
Furnishings & Decorative Arts

Rights:

The use of this image may be subject to the copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) or to site license or other rights management terms and conditions. The person using the image is liable for any infringement.

Access Restrictions:

Yale Community Only

Related Exhibit or Resource:

Early Christian and Byzantine: 1st-12th century: Early Christian Dress: Women and Men

Source Creator:

Button, Jeanne and Sbarge, Stephen

Source Title:

History of Costume, In Slides, Notes and Commentaries: Volume 1

Source Created:

New York, NY
Theatre Arts Slide Presentations
1975

Call Number:

GT513 +B87 1 (LC)

Orbis Barcode:

39002051938497

Yale Collection:

Visual Resources Collection

Digital Collection:

Visual Resources Collection

Original Repository:

Rome, Italy: S. Maria Maggiore

OID:

10542862

PID:

digcoll:1861280