Trier Adventus Ivory
The Trier Adventus Ivory, also known as the Translation of Relics Ivory, is a 4th‑century ivory panel from the Byzantine Empire. It sits in the Trier Cathedral Treasury in Trier, Germany, and was purchased by the cathedral in 1844. The work is famous for being an “enigma” of Early Byzantine art, with scholars debating its date, where it was originally made, and who is shown. The panel is mostly intact, with small damage to the top right and bottom left corners and some figures missing their heads.
The scene is believed to depict an adventus, a ceremonial welcome for a visiting emperor with church officials and sometimes holy relics. In the center-right, a crowned emperor in royal clothing leads the procession, followed by court officials. Two bishops ride a cart behind him, carrying a box thought to hold relics. Civilians appear in the middle and upper arches and windows, welcoming the emperor and the relics. In the bottom right, a woman facing the emperor is commonly identified as the empress; she holds a cross over her left shoulder and extends her right hand in greeting. Behind her is a basilica where the relics would be shown.
A figure above the bishops, in the top left, is often identified as Christ. Who exactly the emperor and empress are remains debated; possibilities include Constantine the Great and Helena or Justinian II and his wife. Some scholars connect the piece to Empress Pulcheria bringing relics to Constantinople, while others suggest a later event or different figures. The possibility that the ivory shows the installation of relics in a church linked to iconoclastic disputes has also been raised. The exact date is debated, but many place it in the 4th century because of the clothing and the way Christ is depicted. The figures are carved in the foreground with individual postures, a style typical of early Byzantine ivories.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 15:41 (CET).