A Deesis is a classical piece of Byzantine art - a traditional iconic representation of Christ in Majesty, enthroned, carrying a book, and flanked by the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist. This particular Deesis is a mosaic that was manufactured in the late 13th century for the small church of San Cipriano on the island of Murano in the Venetian Lagoon.
In addition to Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist, it shows St. Peter standing next to Mary and the martyr St. Cyprian, namesake of the church of San Cipriano, standing next to John the Baptist. Above Jesus Christ, there is a dove as a symbol of peace.
In 1834, the church was to be decommissioned and demolished. Frederick William IV, at the time crown prince of Prussia and a big supporter of the arts, purchased the mosaic for 385 Thalers and had it shipped in its entireness to Potsdam.
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