The Decorative Sculpture: Vines 285 



The Byzantine formalism reduced it to a mere running scroll, and 

 in this conventional form it always appears on the monuments of this 

 country.^ 



Le rinceau d'acanthe, par I'effet d'un tres frequent emploi, a fini par 

 changer de caractere. Deja, a Spalato [303], il s'enroule autour de 

 fleurons d'ou sortent les tetes d'animaux ; plus tard, a Saint-Nicolas de 

 Myra, a Saint- Jean- Stoudite [465], des fleurs et des fruits se sont at- 

 taches au bout de ses volutes, des oiseaux memes se sont loges dans 

 ses meandres.2 



From the 4th century there are sarcophagi with vintage-scenes.* 

 From the 5th is the so-called sarcophagus of Galla Placidia (ca. 450), 

 in the church of San Lorenzo at Milan, which exhibits a vine, with 

 doves pecking at the grapes "* ; and of about the same date is the 

 carved door of S. Sabina at Rome, having panels bordered with 

 highly conventionahzed vine-scrolls.*^ Of the 6th century are two 

 in S. Apollinare in Classe, at Ravenna," one of which (that of St. 

 Theodore) has three birds and one animal pecking at grapes. 



Vines having not only small birds and animals, but peacocks and 

 large animals, are on the front of the episcopal throne usually known 

 as that of Maximian, an Oriental or Egyptian work of the 5th or 6th 

 century ; and still others are found on the back.' 



and naturally ; but the Lombard beasts gripe at it like tigers, and tear it 

 off with writhing lips and glaring eyes.' Cf. Browne, Conv. Hept. p. 192, 

 for a similar contrast between earlier and later representations in England. 



^ Anderson, Scotland in Early Christ. Times 2. 238. 



2 Michel, Hist, de VArt l^. 151-2 ; cf. also p. 153. 



^ Michel 1^. 64 : one in the Lateran, and one in the Vatican. There is 

 another in the vestibule of S. Lorenzo fuori le Mura, at Rome. 



* Martigny, Diet, des Antiqq. Chret., p. 796 ; Allegranza, Spiegazioni e 

 Riflessioni sopra Alcuni Sacri Monumenti Antichi di Milano, tav. II. 



6 Venturi, Storia delVArte Ital. 1. 33 ff., 475. 



« Ricci, Ravenna, pp. 35, 104 ; Michel 1^. 385 ; Venturi 1^. 221, 225. There 

 is another at Toulouse (Michel P. 69, 70). These latter are all executed 

 under Oriental influence, according to Michel. See also the 5th century 

 specimen from the Cairo Museum [Burl. Mag. 21. 195). 



" Goetz, Ravenna, pp. 97-9; Ricci, Ravenna, p. 105; Michel P. 264-5; 

 2. 200 ; Venturi 1. 295-9; cf. Du Sommerard, Les Arts du Moyen Age, Vol. 1, 

 pi. XI ; Greenwell, Catalogue, p. 53, note. G. F. Browne, Bishop of Bristol, 

 lias expressed the ' feeUng that on the upright on either side of the front of 

 the chair you have the secret of the original of this most beautiful side [east] 

 of the Bewcastle Cross.' Unfortunately for this theory, it has been shoAvn that 

 the throne was not sent to Ravenna till the year 1001. Cf. Ricci, pp. 33-4: 

 ' La cattedra detta di S. Massimiano fu portata a Ravenna soltanto nel 1001, 



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