An embroidered Deisis representing Jesus Christ has been discovered by archeologists in a Russian medieval burial ground. The Deisis was uncovered during the Moscow-Kazan highway construction where a Christian cemetery and a medieval settlement have been found. Among the 46 graves that were unearthed, one of them contained the remains of a woman, aged between 16-25, who were buried with the Deisis which contains the figure of Christ in a blessing position and also John the Baptist in a position of prayer, facing Christ. The Deisis is a traditional depiction of the Western Christian image of Christ as the omnipotent king (Christ in Majesty) or the Eastern Christian representation of Christ as the all-powerful judge of humanity (Christ Pantocrator).
The Jerusalem Post reports:
Archaeologists uncovered a rare embroidered Deisis depicting Jesus Christ in a medieval burial ground, according to Heritage Daily.
The embroidered fabric was found during the construction of the Moscow-Kazan highway, where researchers uncovered a medieval settlement and a Christian cemetery.
46 graves were exhumed, including one containing a 16-to-25-year-old woman buried with the fabric, which depicts Jesus Christ in a blessing pose and John the Baptist facing him in a prayerful pose.
What is the Deisis?
The Deisis is a traditional iconic representation of Christ in Majesty – the Western Christian image of Jesus on a throne as king of the world – or Christ Pantocrator – the Eastern Christian image of Jesus as the omnipotent judge of humanity.
The archaeologists believe the embroidered fabric was a headdress made of silk samite. Similar specimens have been found at the Ivorovsky necropolis – where a depiction of Michael the Archangel with a spear was found – and the Karoshky necropolis – where embroidered depictions of crosses and saints were found.
The fabric is 12.1 cm long by 5.5 cm wide and is made up of two parts connected by a vertical seam featuring a gold ribbon with a braided pattern.
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Image: Sadko, Wikipedia
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