In exactly the same way, the two portable mosaics of the 11th century, gifts of the Emperor Nikiforos Botaneiates, had been placed next to each other in the cathedral before they were transferred to the museum. One seldom has the opportunity to see such works of art so closely. Portable mosaics of Byzantium were made by a totally different technique than the wall mosaics and were valuable objects, with a clear imperial symbolism that distinguishes them from the other portable icons. There are only a few dozen surviving Byzantine portable mosaics in the world, and these two icons are the biggest.
