Inscriptions + labels · 2 sourcesstrong when legible
- Observe
- Greek abbreviation IC XC near Christ.
- Identify carefully
- Strong support for identifying Jesus Christ when legible.
- Conventional association
- A normalized identifying label in many post-Iconoclastic icons.
Uncertainty: Letter forms, abbreviations, damage, and placement vary.
Inscriptions + labels · 2 sourcesstrong when legible
- Observe
- Greek abbreviation MP ΘY near the Virgin.
- Identify carefully
- Strong support for identifying the Mother of God when legible.
- Conventional association
- A normalized identifying label in many post-Iconoclastic images of the Virgin.
Uncertainty: Abbreviation and letter placement vary; a title is not the same as a compositional type.
Inscriptions + labels · 2 sourcesrole level
- Observe
- Greek saint label ὁ ἅγιος or an abbreviated form.
- Identify carefully
- Supports recognition that the labeled figure is a saint; the personal name must also be read or otherwise established.
- Conventional association
- Saint labels became normative especially after Iconoclasm.
Uncertainty: Labels can be abbreviated, damaged, or paired with a separate personal name.
Inscriptions + labels · 1 sourceobject specific when legible
- Observe
- An open book with visible written lines or a legible passage.
- Identify carefully
- Can identify a textual object and, where legible, provide object-specific textual evidence.
- Conventional association
- Christ images may show an open Gospel bearing words attributed to Christ.
Uncertainty: Do not invent wording from a generic open-book convention or unreadable marks.
Halos + glory · 2 sourcesweak alone
- Observe
- A circular or patterned field around a head.
- Identify carefully
- Supports sacred or elevated status, but does not uniquely name the figure.
- Conventional association
- Halos appear across many holy figures and can vary in material, pattern, and opacity.
Uncertainty: Halo form alone is insufficient for personal identification.
Halos + glory · 2 sourcesstrong conventional
- Observe
- A halo visibly marked by a cross.
- Identify carefully
- Strongly supports a Christ identification in Byzantine iconographic convention when the form is clear.
- Conventional association
- Cross-halos are conventionally associated with Christ.
Uncertainty: Damage or patterned halos can complicate the reading; combine with labels and other clues.
Books + scrolls · 3 sourcesrole narrowing
- Observe
- A codex/book held by a figure.
- Identify carefully
- Can support Christ, evangelist, bishop, or teaching roles depending on context.
- Conventional association
- Christ Pantokrator and various evangelists/bishops are documented with books.
Uncertainty: A book is highly non-unique: never use it alone to name a figure.
Books + scrolls · 2 sourcesrole narrowing
- Observe
- A rolled or partly unrolled scroll held by a figure.
- Identify carefully
- Can support prophetic, teaching, or Christ-child contexts, depending on surrounding evidence.
- Conventional association
- The Christ Child in Hodegetria examples may carry a scroll; saints and prophets may also hold scrolls.
Uncertainty: A scroll is not unique to one figure or type.
Gestures + intercession · 3 sourcesaction level
- Observe
- A raised hand configured as a blessing gesture.
- Identify carefully
- Supports a blessing action but does not uniquely identify the figure.
- Conventional association
- Christ is repeatedly documented blessing in Pantokrator and Hodegetria imagery; bishop saints may also bless.
Uncertainty: Hand shape varies by medium, period, scale, and preservation; avoid over-decoding finger geometry without specific evidence.
Gestures + intercession · 2 sourcesaction level
- Observe
- Hands raised or held in a prayer posture.
- Identify carefully
- Supports prayer/intercession, especially when paired with orientation toward another sacred figure.
- Conventional association
- The Virgin Hagiosoritissa is documented raising her hands in prayer toward Christ.
Uncertainty: Prayer gestures are not unique personal identifiers.
Gestures + intercession · 2 sourcesaction level
- Observe
- Both arms raised in an orans prayer pose.
- Identify carefully
- Supports a prayer/orant reading; figure identity requires labels, setting, or other attributes.
- Conventional association
- The Virgin and other figures can appear in an orans posture.
Uncertainty: The orans pose predates Byzantium and is not exclusive to the Virgin.
Gestures + intercession · 1 sourcestrong in combination
- Observe
- The Virgin supports Christ while her free hand indicates or gestures toward him.
- Identify carefully
- Strongly supports a Hodegetria-family compositional reading when paired with Virgin-and-Child identification.
- Conventional association
- The gesture is a defining relational clue in documented Hodegetria examples.
Uncertainty: Do not identify Hodegetria from a pointing hand without confirming the figures and composition.
Clothing + role · 2 sourcesrole strong
- Observe
- A long bishop’s scarf, often marked with crosses, worn over the shoulders/chest.
- Identify carefully
- Strongly supports episcopal status or bishop-saint role.
- Conventional association
- Documented on bishop saints such as John Chrysostom and, in later comparison material, Athanasius.
Uncertainty: It does not determine which bishop saint is shown; inscription, face type, and other context remain necessary.
Clothing + role · 1 sourcerole strong
- Observe
- A jeweled scarf wrapped around the body.
- Identify carefully
- Supports an imperial or archangel role in Byzantine imagery.
- Conventional association
- Dumbarton Oaks describes the loros as limited in Byzantine art to imperial rulers and archangels.
Uncertainty: It narrows role but does not uniquely identify Gabriel, Michael, or a ruler.
Saint attributes · 2 sourcescategory strong
- Observe
- A small cross carried by a saint.
- Identify carefully
- Supports a martyr category when documented with the saint.
- Conventional association
- Martyrs may hold crosses to associate their sacrifice with Christ’s crucifixion.
Uncertainty: Many martyrs share the attribute; exact identity needs inscription or other evidence.
Saint attributes · 1 sourcecategory strong
- Observe
- A small medicine box held by a saint.
- Identify carefully
- Strongly supports a healer-saint role.
- Conventional association
- Healer saints are documented with medicine boxes as identifying attributes.
Uncertainty: Exact healer identity still requires label or additional context.
Saint attributes · 1 sourcerole narrowing
- Observe
- A censer or incense vessel carried or swung by a figure.
- Identify carefully
- Supports clergy/liturgical role when the object is clear.
- Conventional association
- Clergy saints may carry liturgical objects such as censers.
Uncertainty: It is a role clue, not a unique personal name.
Saint attributes · 2 sourcescategory strong
- Observe
- Spear and shield or closely related military equipment.
- Identify carefully
- Strongly supports a military-saint reading in the documented Middle Byzantine examples.
- Conventional association
- Demetrios and George can be represented with military equipment.
Uncertainty: Military equipment does not uniquely distinguish one military saint from another.
Saint attributes · 1 sourcerole narrowing
- Observe
- Quill, inkwell, knife, book cabinet, or writing setup.
- Identify carefully
- Supports an evangelist/scribe setting, especially with a book and inscription.
- Conventional association
- The Met’s Luke illumination explicitly documents a quill and writing implements.
Uncertainty: Do not infer a specific evangelist from generic writing equipment alone.
Saint attributes · 2 sourcesrole strong
- Observe
- An orb surmounted by a cross.
- Identify carefully
- Supports an imperial/heavenly authority role, including archangels in documented examples.
- Conventional association
- Gabriel and Michael are documented with cross-bearing orbs in Byzantine imagery.
Uncertainty: Not a unique personal identifier; combine with wings, dress, inscription, and companion attributes.
Saint attributes · 2 sourcesrole narrowing
- Observe
- A scepter, staff, or lance-like courtly attribute.
- Identify carefully
- Supports archangelic or courtly authority in documented examples.
- Conventional association
- Gabriel and Michael may carry scepters or related staffs.
Uncertainty: Exact object form and identity can vary; do not collapse scepter and weapon without source evidence.
Pose, gaze + hierarchy · 2 sourcesweak alone
- Observe
- Head and torso face the viewer directly.
- Identify carefully
- Describes pose, not identity.
- Conventional association
- Frontality is common for many saints and sacred figures.
Uncertainty: Because the pose is widespread, it has very low identifying specificity.
Pose, gaze + hierarchy · 1 sourcestrong in paired context
- Observe
- A figure turns in three-quarter view toward another figure while praying.
- Identify carefully
- Supports an intercessory relation when the paired subject is established.
- Conventional association
- The Virgin Hagiosoritissa on the Met pendant is documented in three-quarter profile praying toward Christ.
Uncertainty: A three-quarter pose alone does not establish Hagiosoritissa.
Pose, gaze + hierarchy · 2 sourcesrelational
- Observe
- Eyes or head turn toward the viewer or another represented figure.
- Identify carefully
- Identifies a relational direction, not a person.
- Conventional association
- The Met pendant explicitly uses Christ’s sideways gaze to acknowledge the Virgin’s prayer on the reverse.
Uncertainty: Gaze can be ambiguous at miniature scale or after damage; source descriptions outrank visual guesswork.
Pose, gaze + hierarchy · 2 sourcescontextual
- Observe
- One figure is materially larger or occupies a more dominant scale than others.
- Identify carefully
- Can support relative importance within a given composition.
- Conventional association
- Monumental Deesis and church programs use scale and vertical hierarchy to distinguish importance.
Uncertainty: Scale is contextual; do not infer sanctity from size without compositional and source support.
Composition + framing · 2 sourcescontextual
- Observe
- A principal figure occupies the center while other figures flank it.
- Identify carefully
- Narrows a compositional relationship but not one unique icon type.
- Conventional association
- Deesis and enthroned Virgin compositions can use central-and-flanking organization for different subjects and functions.
Uncertainty: The identities, gestures, labels, and setting decide the reading; centrality alone does not.
Composition + framing · 2 sourcesrole contextual
- Observe
- A seated figure occupies an ornate or elevated throne.
- Identify carefully
- Supports an authority/enthronement reading; figure identity remains separate.
- Conventional association
- Christ and the Virgin can appear enthroned in Byzantine compositions.
Uncertainty: A throne does not uniquely distinguish Christ, the Virgin, emperor, or other enthroned figures.
Composition + framing · 1 sourcecontextual
- Observe
- An almond- or oval-shaped glory encloses a whole figure or body.
- Identify carefully
- Supports a special glory/theophanic framing but does not uniquely name the scene.
- Conventional association
- Mandorlas appear around sacred figures in scenes such as Ascension and Transfiguration traditions.
Uncertainty: Its exact scene-specific meaning depends on the figures and narrative context.
Composition + framing · 1 sourcecontextual
- Observe
- Painted/carved columns, arches, walls, or architectural members frame a scene.
- Identify carefully
- Supports a constructed sacred setting or spatial boundary.
- Conventional association
- In the Sinai Virgin icon, architecture helps create and close the space around the holy scene.
Uncertainty: Do not identify the frame as a real monument unless a source does so.
Sacred-space placement · 1 sourcecontextual
- Observe
- Figures distributed across architectural surfaces appear to address one another across actual church space.
- Identify carefully
- Supports a spatial-program reading when the architectural context is known.
- Conventional association
- Middle Byzantine church decoration can make separate holy figures function together across walls and vaults.
Uncertainty: The concept applies to spatial ensembles, not automatically to portable icons.
Sacred-space placement · 2 sourcescontextual
- Observe
- An image occupies the dome or uppermost central vault.
- Identify carefully
- Can support a Pantokrator/heavenly-hierarchy context in Middle Byzantine programs when documented.
- Conventional association
- Pantokrator imagery is strongly associated with the dome in multiple BIU sources.
Uncertainty: Not every dome has the same program; architectural date and local tradition matter.
Sacred-space placement · 2 sourcescontextual
- Observe
- An image occupies the apse or conch behind the altar area.
- Identify carefully
- Can support Marian/enthroned-image context in documented Orthodox church programs.
- Conventional association
- Enthroned Virgin-and-Child imagery is documented as an apse subject.
Uncertainty: Apse programs vary by site and period; placement cannot date an object by itself.
Sacred-space placement · 1 sourcecontextual
- Observe
- Images appear within the sanctuary/bema zone associated with clergy and Eucharistic ritual.
- Identify carefully
- Can support a bishop-saint/liturgical-role context when documented.
- Conventional association
- At Nerezi and related traditions, bishop saints appear in the bema and may hold books.
Uncertainty: Do not infer a bishop identity solely from location; the local program and labels matter.
Color + material boundary · 2 sourcesweak alone
- Observe
- A luminous gold field surrounds or backs figures.
- Identify carefully
- Identifies a material/visual effect when the medium/source supports gold; it does not uniquely identify a subject.
- Conventional association
- Gold grounds recur in portable and monumental Byzantine imagery.
Uncertainty: Do not assign one universal symbolic meaning to gold without context; metal leaf, mosaic tesserae, enamel, or paint behave differently.
Color + material boundary · 2 sourcesweak alone
- Observe
- A color is observed on clothing, background, halo, or other feature.
- Identify carefully
- Color alone has low identifying specificity unless a source explicitly ties it to a role/object/tradition.
- Conventional association
- Byzantine images can use richly varied color and patterned dress, and conventions change across time/media.
Uncertainty: BIU deliberately rejects a universal “red means X / blue means Y” lookup table.
Saint attributes · 1 sourcestrong in object context
- Observe
- A pointed surgical tool is held or shown with a saint.
- Identify carefully
- On Met 1993.163 the lancet is part of the object-specific identification of Saint Thalelaios as a physician saint.
- Conventional association
- The tool can signal a medical/professional role in this documented context.
Uncertainty: Do not use the lancet as a universal lookup key for every medical saint or every Byzantine image.
Saint attributes · 1 sourcestrong in object context
- Observe
- A compact medical case accompanies a saint.
- Identify carefully
- On the Met processional cross it helps identify the central back medallion as Saint Thalelaios.
- Conventional association
- Professional equipment can narrow saintly role when combined with inscription and other attributes.
Uncertainty: The case is object-specific evidence here; BIU does not generalize it into a universal saint identifier.
Saint attributes · 1 sourcequalified
- Observe
- An armored saint is shown killing a dragon.
- Identify carefully
- On the Attarouthi chalices the Met says the figure may be among the earliest surviving depictions of Saint George.
- Conventional association
- Dragon-slaying becomes a warrior-saint motif, but the personal identification in this early example remains qualified.
Uncertainty: “May be Saint George” remains a possibility, not a definitive label.
