Relief with Addorsed Ducks (DO BZ.1936.51)
This relief panel is indicative of early medieval exchanges of goods and media. Two ducks sit with their backs towards each other, enshrined by a frame of pearl shapes, and wear ribbons tied loosely around their necks. In each corner, oak leaves are paired with acorns. These design elements were common aesthetic trends of the luxury Eastern textiles that would have been circulating in the Mediterranean at this time, and it is likely that this relief panel is a mimic of those designs. Its natural imagery is symbolic of unity, divinity, and regeneration. In its original context, the marble panel was likely placed in the pulpit of a Christian worship space. Knowing that the designs were likely copied from Islamic textiles and techniques, it is important to acknowledge the recontextualization of this object, and its symbols, into a Christian framework.