Sion Treasure
Date:
Mid- to late sixth century
Location or Findspot (Modern-Day Country):
Turkey
Description:
The Sion Treasure, discovered in 1963 near Kumluca, Turkey, is a largely ecclesiastical treasure that includes polykandela, book covers, censers, and uncommonly large patens. The censer included here is decorated with scenes from the life of Christ, as described in the Gospels. It was designed to hang from chains and hold burning incense. The high-quality metalworking was most likely executed in Constantinople, and inscriptions referring to "Holy Sion" and a bishop named Eutychianos suggest that at least some of the objects in the hoard were gifts from this bishop to the Church of Holy Sion, part of a monastery founded in Lycia (southwestern Asia Minor) in the mid-sixth century.
Relevant Textbook Chapter(s):
3
Repository and Online Resources:
• Visit the Dumbarton Oaks website for additional views of the Sion Treasure objects in their collection.
• See additional images of the Treasure displayed at Dumbarton Oaks on the kornbluthphoto website.
Image Credits:
Dick Osseman, Wikimedia Commons, Linda Safran, Flickr
