Justinian as Conqueror (Equestrian Emperor Triumphant or Barberini lvory) made from Ivory, it is thought to have been created in Constantinople (Byzantine) during the early to mid-sixth century BCE and now it is placed in the Musee du Louvre, Paris.

This Byzantine Ivory is an embodiment of the transition from the classical traditional (Greece and Roman before Christianity) sculptures to the Eastern Roman Empire (after Christianity is legalized).

Its purpose and importance are deemed by a propagandistic piece to show Justinian as an emperor that embodies catholic ideals after his predecessor emperor Constantine by about 2 centuries.

Justinian was an orthodox catholic that wanted to get rid of heretics and expand upon territory within his kingdom. This piece was made as a book cover for the original imperial text to honor Justinian. It contained five panels each portraying a different image...

and one of which is lost. The panels were divided into three categories. The first horizontal panel on the top illustrates the divinity of Jesus surrounded by Nike (goddess of victory), the sun, the moon, and a star (or Venus).

Below the first panel are three vertical panel placed in the middle of the ivory book cover. It is a representation of the Christian emperor Justinian riding his hoers and receiving gifts from Nike and his followers.

The last panel is placed in the bottom of the ivory book cover and it symbolize the conquered people. On this ivory book cover, Justinian was a Caesaropapist ruler who was the leader of the military, state, and the church.

This thread comes to you from my #ArtHist class and the Emperor Triumphant (Barberini Ivory)
by DR. BETH HARRIS and DR. STEVEN ZUCKER.
https://smarthistory.org/barberini-ivory/