Object Details
Maker
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 Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks.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
Date
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
Data Source
National Museum of African Art
Topic
equestrian
mother and child
Writing
cross
horse
Link to Original Record
Record ID
nmafa_2004-7-6