Icon

Object Details

Ethiopian Orthodox

Label Text

Devout individuals have commissioned icons (wood panel paintings) as gifts to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church since the 15th century. The icon was believed to carry the peoples' prayers for mercy and healing directly to the depicted saint--most often Mary with the infant Christ. The archangels, Michael and Gabriel, stand next to Mary, and Saint George often rides a white horse on the opposite panel. Small icons may have been worn around the neck suspended in cloth or leather bags or by a cord through a wood cylinder.

Description

Double sided pendant icon with a single suspension lug with a burned hole, an overall exterior carved with geometric motifs and fiber hinged doors. Side carved roundel: Madonna & child flanked by Archangels Michael and Gabriel; on door: St. George and inscription. Side with two crosses: Crucifixion; on door: ascent from Purgatory, inscription.

Side carved roundel: Madonna & child flanked by Archangels Michael and Gabriel; on door: St. George and inscription. Side with two crosses: Crucifixion; on door: ascent from Purgatory, inscription.

Side with two crosses: Crucifixion; on door: ascent from Purgatory, inscription.

Provenance

Joseph and Patricia Brumit, Sun City West, 1968 to 2004

Exhibition History

BIG/small, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., January 17-July 23, 2006

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 Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks.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 nmafacuratorial@si.edu 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 Joseph and Patricia Brumit

Mid-17th century

Object number

2004-7-6

Restrictions & Rights

CC0

Type

Painting

Medium

Wood, paint, string

Dimensions

H x W x D: 11.6 x 17.1 x 2.1 cm (4 9/16 x 6 3/4 x 13/16 in.) (open)

Geography

Ethiopia

See more items in

National Museum of African Art Collection

National Museum of African Art

Topic

equestrian

mother and child

Writing

cross

horse

Record ID

nmafa_2004-7-6

Metadata Usage (text)

CC0

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys749c06a0a-db79-4674-bdeb-6e7bc1b67a08