Byzantium

The aspect that most impresses is the incredible detail in the ivory carvings, be they plaques or diptyches. The figures might be deceptively simple but the skill involved is unmistakable. The artists themselves might be anonymous but the works speak for themselves. Likewise, a perfume burner on the shape of a fabulously decorated Orthodox church is breathtaking. It's a tiny step though from the beauty of holiness to outright garishness, courtesy of heavily bejewelled icons or elaborate heavy jewellery that looks like it must have been painful to wear. By and large, the less elaborate items are the most appealing: glazed ceramics, geometrical gold jewellery, carved caskets. Also fascinating are the surving 4th-5th century textiles, faded and worn but the patterns still visible. The geographical spread was also surprising: from Egypt to Armenia to Turkey to Serbia and Russia, reflecting the way in which Byzantine art both influenced and was influenced by other cultures. It was never in danger of becoming naturalistic but then again, much of the art was about expressing the divine light of God (hence all that gold) Just don't judge by the standards of the Renaissance.