Description
This intricate gold ornament was designed to be sewn to a woman's dress or headcover. The eagle with spread wings is a recurring Byzantine image, while the peacocks at the top represent eternal life.
Provenance
Paul Gruel, Paris, [date of acquisition unknown] by purchase; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1929, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Inscriptions
[Transcription] + Θεωτόκη βοέθι τῖ φορούσα [+ Θεοτόκε, βοήθη τῆ φορούσα]; [Translation] + Mother of God, help the woman who wears this
Credit
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1929