Eurasian Studies

Balkans, Anatolia, Iran, Caucasus and Central Asia Studies Notebooks

Uccelli paradisiaci e spazio sacro

Note intorno a paradisi terrestri e celesti

crossmark logo

Abstract

Late antique and Byzantine imagery is pervaded by birds of various species. Several kinds of birds inhabit literary gardens from the second to the fourteenth centuries as well as late antique mosaics of churches. While the association of birds with the terrestrial paradise is quite straightforward, the one with a celestial, heavenly paradise is much less immediate. Here, I will explore the role of birds in this latter case in particular. Through the analysis of a few chosen examples of monumental decoration, manuscript illumination, portable objects and sculpture, I will address the use of birds in the creation (and visualization) of the sacred in the earthly realm.


Open access

Language: it

Keywords Birds • Heaven • Paradise

Copyright © 2016 Maria Cristina Carile. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

Permalink http://doi.org/10.14277/6969-085-3/EUR-4-4


read this chapter