Medallion: Trinity with Saints

Work Number: 580252
Title: Medallion: Trinity with Saints
Approximate date: 13th c
Description: The circular medallion is composed of four concentric circular motifs. The outermost ring is unadorned. The proceeding ring contains high-relief inscriptions in Greek. The largest ring follows and is composed of icon portraits of saints situated in roundels. Each saint's name appears beneath their icon in Greek. The central roundel features a depiction of the Hospitality (Philoxenia/φιλοξενία) of Abraham. The Lord appeared to Abraham near the Oak of Mamre as three men. Abraham prepared for the Lord Kurds and milk, cakes made of choice flour and had a calf prepared as well and the Lord received these things and ate. This is perhaps the scene depicted in the medallion roundel. The Lord, as three men, sit with food around them. The Lord, in triplicate form, led some Byzantine commentators to interpret this as a Trinitarian account (I.e. Procopius). (Lowden & Cutler, "Philoxenia of Abraham", Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium).
Medium: Metal
Subject: Philoxenia of Abraham SEE Hospitality of Abraham; Saint Michael, SEE Michael (Archangel); Saints; Trinity
Provenance: Gallery 5