Barberini ivory

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Barberini ivory is a Byzantine diptych dating from Late Antiquity. It is preserved at the Louvre in Paris. It is a layer of ivory made up of four plates carved in the classical style known as late Theodosian, representing the topic of the emperor triumphant victor. It is generally dated from first half of the sixth century and is allotted to an imperial workshop of Constantinople, while the illustrated emperor is identified either as Anastasius I or much more probably as Justinian.

This diptych is a notable historical document because it is linked to queen Brunhilda of Austrasia which makes clear the relationships of Brunhild with the emperor of Byzantine Empire in order to ransom her grandson Athanagild. In the back there is a list of names of Frankish kings, all relatives of Brunhild, indicating the preeminent position of queens within Frankish royal families -it is clear that she had an important position because she ordered that list to be inscribed and it was she who offered it to the church as a votive image.