Pilgrim Treasures from the Hermitage Byzantium-Jerusalem

"Pilgrim Treasures from the Hermitage: Byzantium-Jerusalem" presents the highlights from the splendid collection of pilgrims' souvenirs in the State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg: oil lamps and bronze crosses from the Early Byzantine period (4th to 7th centuries), icons and reliquaries from the 10th to the 13th centuries, and pilgrims' souvenirs in mother-of-pearl and fish-bone icons from the 18th and 19th centuries. Christianity found its way to Russia from Byzantium, bringing in its wake new traditions. Russian culture remains closely linked to Byzantium, and the close relationship between the two cultures developed thanks partly to pilgrimages. The flow of Russian pilgrims first to Byzantium and then to the Holy Land created a living link, preserving spiritual and material memories of Byzantium. Returning to Russia, pilgrims took back remarkable works of art, including late Palestinian icons, holy reliquaries and souvenirs carved from mother-of-pearl. This book showcases the physical forms of spiritual quests, showing how different cultures interacted to create the masterpieces of East Christian art.