Oggetti di ornamento in metallo prezioso nell’impero di Costantinopoli

The luxury of the Byzantine Empire was expressed through significant acts of patronage and other social practices, but also through the choice of clothing and personal ornaments, which served as markers of status, wealth, and power. However, the widespread circulation of artifacts through the antiquities market limits the reconstruction of their original production centres, a challenge that also affects Constantinople. Written sources, including papyri and corporate regulations such as the Book of the Eparch, attest to the complexity and specialization of artisans active within the empire, categorized into distinct groups. Typological analysis and iconographic documentation offer insights into the symbolic and social roles of ornaments, which are particularly evident in funerary contexts. Treasures unearthed in numerous centres across the eastern Mediterranean highlight the existence of a koiné in the 7th century, while sporadic finds from settlement contexts and workshops generally confirm the standardization of production. Ravenna, though leaving behind limited material evidence of its own productions, stands out for indirect indications of a dynamic trade in precious items, supported by a local aristocratic patronage