Et magi antecedents

The Adoration of the Magi in Ravenna art between Late Antiquity to Early Middle Ages

Abstract

The Adoration of the Magi was among the most popular narratives depicted in early Christian iconography, even above the Nativity episode itself, because this first epiphany also contains the mystery of the incarnation in the birth of the Savior. In the 5^th century, the composition of the scene —derived from imperial iconography— crystallized, and the episode could be depicted in the most diverse media and scales. In Ravenna artworks (5^th and 6^th c.), the Magi can be appreciated in monumental mosaics, marble (reliquary and sarcophagus), and a recently rediscovered small silver ring bezel.