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Icon

National Museum of African Art

Object Details

Ethiopian Orthodox
Label Text
The diptych's composition of registers containing depictions of multiple events is complex. Particularly appealing are the artist's references to Ethiopian life: Mary spinning thread seated on a three-legged stool; the ball game; the style of the three yellow crowns; the lidded food basket on Salome's head; and the depiction of the Temple in Jerusalem as miniature Ethiopian churches. The hand-to-cheek pose and presence of "Eyachem" in the Nativity scene is more typical of Joseph. The final two scenes--the death and assumption of Mary--are rare in Ethiopian art and mix local and foreign artistic forms.
Left panel
top: "The Annunciation" and "The Visitation of Elizabeth" (Elizabeth, left; Mary, right)
middle: "He (Jesus) sleeping in the manger" with Mary flanked by "Hanna" and "Yoachim"
bottom: "Boys playing genna" and "The Magi giving a present to Jesus, Hanna"
Right panel
top: "Entrance of St. Mary to the Temple"
middle: "The Flight to Egypt" with Joseph and Salome
bottom, left: "The (Death) of St. Mary" and apostles
bottom, right: "The Ascension (Assumption) of St. Mary" with angels
Description
Diptych of distemper, gesso and cloth on wood; each panel having three registers with group scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary with red and green backgrounds.
Provenance
Ciro Taddeo, purchased in Addis Ababa, 1972 to 1998
Exhibition History
Heroes: Principles of African Greatness, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 16, 2019–October 3, 2021
Ethiopian Icons: Faith and Science, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., January 31-October 5, 2003
Published References
James, E. E. 2005. Technical Study of Ethiopian Icons, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution. Journal of the American Institute for Conservation. Washington, DC. 44 (1): 41, 46.
James, E. 1999. Changes in Place, Changes in Context: the Conservation of an Ethiopian Icon. AIC Paintings Group Postprints. Saint Louis, MO. Washington, DC: American Institute for Conservation.
Stobaeus, Per. 2014. Josef: Om Jesu far i bibeln och den kristna traditionen. Stockholm: Artos & Norma.
Content Statement
As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email [email protected] if you have any questions.
Image Requests
High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/
Credit Line
Gift of Ciro R. Taddeo in memory of Raffael and Alessandra Taddeo
ca. 1630-1700
Object number
98-3-3
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
Type
Painting
Medium
Distemper, gesso and cloth on wood
Dimensions
H x W x D: 51.7 x 43 x 2.5 cm (20 3/8 x 16 15/16 x 1 in.)
Geography
Ethiopia
See more items in
National Museum of African Art Collection
National Museum of African Art
Topic
bird
mother and child
furniture
Writing
horse
angel
Record ID
nmafa_98-3-3
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys7c2361924-44d7-4e32-a350-2288b0f54f8b
This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Open Access page.
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
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