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Ottoman Turkish, Cyprus Anatolia

St. George Banner, 1600s

Now On View

Description

Maker

Culture

Ottoman Turkish

Title

St. George Banner

Year

1600s

Medium

Silk satin with metallic embroidery, silk floss, pearls, and spangles

Materials/Techniques

Materials

Techniques

Dimensions

86.4 x 63.5 cm (34 x 25 inches)

Place

Cyprus; Anatolia

Type

Credit

Gift of Mrs. Malcolm Chace, Jr.

Object Number

83.198

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

European Galleries

At the center of this heavily embellished banner, St. George—an early Christian martyr from Anatolia (modern Turkey)—slays a dragon. Small seed pearls, a precious material traded from Russia, form halos over the heads of George and other Orthodox saints in the surrounding border. Metal spangles suggest the shimmer of armor and dragon scales.

George, a warrior saint, resonates with both Christians and Muslims for his reputation of caring for the weak or helpless. Here a small boy holds a jug as he sits on the back of George’s horse. According to variations on the story, this child was taken hostage in a raid but saved by the saint.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in Copyright. This object is St. George Banner with the accession number of 83.198. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.