page_title: Byzantine silver
hierarchical_section_title: Byzantine silver
caption_attribution_description: The Antioch Chalice, first half of 6th century, Metropolitan Museum of Art
context_page_description: Silver was important in Byzantine society as it was the most precious metal right after gold. Byzantine silver was prized in both the secular and domestic realms. Aristocratic homes had silver dining ware, and in churches silver was used for crosses, liturgical vessels such as the patens and chalices required for every Eucharist. Silver was also used as a medium in pagan mythological scenes and objects such as the Sevso Treasure. Silver pieces, especially silverware, continued to be rendered in the classical style into the seventh century.
  Silver items were also controlled stamped, sometimes up to five times on a single piece, many such pieces are dated between the fourth and eighth centuries. During the reign of Heraclius, the production of silverware halts, which coincides with the State confiscating valuable metals to help replenish the treasury during the Persian War. Silver items began to regularly buried, such as the Stuma Treasure of 56 objects found in Syria during 1908, dated between 540 and 640 and attributed to the village church of St Sergios at Kaper Koraon.
context_section_description: Silver was important in Byzantine society as it was the most precious metal right after gold. Byzantine silver was prized in both the secular and domestic realms. Aristocratic homes had silver dining ware, and in churches silver was used for crosses, liturgical vessels such as the patens and chalices required for every Eucharist. Silver was also used as a medium in pagan mythological scenes and objects such as the Sevso Treasure. Silver pieces, especially silverware, continued to be rendered in the classical style into the seventh century.  
  Silver items were also controlled stamped, sometimes up to five times on a single piece, many such pieces are dated between the fourth and eighth centuries. During the reign of Heraclius (r. 610-41 AD), the production of silverware halts, which coincides with the State confiscating valuable metals to help replenish the treasury during the Persian War. Silver items began to regularly buried, such as the Stuma Treasure of 56 objects found in Syria during 1908, dated between 540 and 640 and attributed to the village church of St Sergios at Kaper Koraon. The Sion Treasure from Lycia consists of 71 pieces with 30 pieces stamped between 550 and 565 AD  See Byzantine Coins for currency and monetary information.
caption: The Antioch Chalice. Created during the first half of the sixth century.  Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
exif: {}