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"  Who would have thought that the machinations of the Tea Party in 2013 A.D. would be felt throughout the Byzantine Empire? And yet that is what happened in October, when the government shutdown caused some 170 priceless objects, on loan from Greece, to be locked inside the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. Fortunately, the exhibit, &amp;quot;Heaven and Earth: Art of Byzantium from Greek Collections,&amp;quot; which Holland Cotter, in the Times, called &amp;quot;ambushingly resplendent,&amp;quot; has opened at last and is on view through March 2nd. If one item can serve as a way into the exhibition, it&amp;#039;s the Virgin Episkepsis. The unique mosaic icon was made near Constantinople in the late 13th century and brought to Greece in 1922. Its survival is miraculous, its beauty other\u00ADworldly, and its appearance in this Greek \u00ADgovernment\u2013sponsored show a rare treat. Life in the Byzantine Empire was \u00ADfamously sumptuous. The show makes this evident with everyday objects (earrings, combs, lamps, books, coins, jewelry) as well as artworks. One of the standouts among the icons is The Hospitality of Abraham, which shows Abraham and Sarah serving three red-clad heavenly visitors. The table is set with curved knives, fluted bowls, and forks\u2014implements used only by the wealthy. The winged trio is said by some to symbolize the Holy Trinity and is an elegant example of theophany, or the appearance of a deity, in a painting. Many of the paintings in the National Gallery show confirm the popular notion of an icon as an austere image of Jesus, his mother, a prophet, a saint, or an angel. But far from being confined to Orthodox churches, icons have been reappropriated over time, even appearing on the runway\u2014a temple of worship in its own way. The fall 2013 Dolce &amp;amp;amp; Gabbana show featured richly colored dresses emblazoned with Byzantine icons, the models accessorized with elaborate crowns and chandelier earrings worthy of the all-powerful Empress Theodora. The 13th-century Virgin Episkepsis mosaic icon; a 2013 runway look from Dolce &amp;amp;amp; Gabbana. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/reviews/a1411/gilt-trip-byzantine-greek-collection-national-gallery-dc/>