The bishop’s staff, the miter, and the encolpion, are symbols of the highest grade of religious authority, and were made out of precious and rare materials, according to the prevailing aesthetics of secular, luxury artifacts of the time in major urban centers such as Constantinople. The ivory head of this staff is decorated with inlaid gold and precious stones, and the staff itself is covered in mother of pearl and tortoise shell from the Indian Ocean. Ivory nodules, ebony, and gold-plated nails add further colorful touches to the artifact.
