Royal or Imperial Gate (14th/15th Century)

An inlaid and painted wooden work identifiable as a royal or imperial door, generally placed at the center of the iconostasis in Orthodox churches. Each door is divided into three panels; the upper one, shaped like a quadrant of a circle, depicts the angel announcing the Gospel on the left, and the right one depicts Mary receiving the Gospel. The four panels below, two on each door, depict the four Evangelists.

The work is an extraordinary and ancient testimony to Byzantine art and culture. From a formal standpoint, it displays excellent execution, both sculptural and pictorial, in a truly precious ensemble. Regarding the gilded wooden structure, the upper section, in particular, features a beautiful and intricate interweaving of floral, plant, and animal motifs, creating a lush bush crowning the upper section of the portal. The lower section features equally evocative execution of the small arches that accommodate the painted sections. The latter constitute an eminent example of Byzantine art, reflecting all its prerogatives. The antiquity of the work is evident in the strongly archaic stylistic elements, aimed at exalting the supernatural and divine nature of what is depicted. For this reason, the figures exhibit a marked anti-naturalism, specifically medieval in nature. The conception of space is not rational, there are no regular proportions between the subjects, and the background is gilded. The saints, in the arches, have a hieratic stance, a superhuman fixity. Their facial features are generalized, and their gazes are lost in contemplation of the divine. These are all elements that contribute to the work's transcendental aura.

The work, as demonstrated by an expert assessment of the materials, should date back to a period between the 14th and 15th centuries.

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