DOI Artikel:
Mierzejewska, Bożena: Remarks on decoration of the Western Wall of Narthex in the Faras Cathedral
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18950#0161
in Saqqara19 and Bawit20, a 6th century tapestry icon21 and a 6th or 7th century
limestone relief depicting two angels flanking the Virgin's throne with raised
wings forming a kind of canopy over her shoulders.22 It is visible also on the
later ivories from Egypt such as the Eleousa ivory in the Walters Art Gallery
in Baltimore, which features two diminutive angels,23 and on the Hodegetria
ivory, now in Milan.24 In both cases the angels form a similar kind of canopy
over the Virgin's head. The same motive is included also on two Coptic
manuscripts dated to the 9th century. The motive of the canopy of wings
became very popular also in late medieval Ethiopian paintings with the Virgin
between angels.26
Once the scheme had established itself, the practice of showing Theotokos
with angels (usually the two archangels, with Gabriel on the right and Michael
on the left side) became a standard pattern in Christian iconography.
Representations of the enthroned Theotokos and adoring archangels forming
her guard joined the repertory of themes in the apses of Byzantine churches too
and was especially popular after iconoclasm (eg. St Sophia in Tessaloniki and
Constantinople, Hosios Lucas, Dafni, Góreme and El Nazar in Cappadocia).
The formal composition is most likely a survival from imperial Roman art
which employed the scheme in portraying the ruler surrounded by followers or
allegorical figures, as is attested by the reliefs contained on the Theodosian
obelisk, the representations on consular diptychs or the miniaturę in the
Yienna manuscript of Dioscurides.27
19 Chapel 1725, Enthroned Virgin Galaktotrophousa and two standing angels as a guard,
cf.: J.E. Quibell, Excavations at Saąąara (1908-1910). The Monastery ofApa Jeremias, Cairo 1912,
pl. XXII.
20 For example Bawit, Chapel no. XXVIII, decorated with the mural showing the enthroned
Theotokos flanked by two angels with thuribles and boxes for incense, identified as the angel of
the Lord and the angel of God, cf. J. Cledat, Le Monastere et la necropole de Baouit (Memoires
de 1’Institut franęais d’archeologie orientale du Caire, vol. XII-1), Cairo 1904, p. 154; and Chapel
no. LV, The Virgin with Child and the two angels with globes and staffs, cf. J. Cledat, A.
Boud’hors, R.-G. Coquin, E. Gaillard, Le Monastere et la necropole de Baouit (ibid., vol. CXI),
Cairo 1999, p. 150, ill. 131-134.
21 Cleveland Museum of Art, cf. D.G. Shepherd, “An Icon of the Virgin”, Bulletin of the
Cleveland Museum of Art, LVI, 1969, 3, pp. 90-120.
22 Coptic Museum, Cairo, inv. no. 8006, cf. A. Effenberger, Koptische Kunst. Agypten in
spdtantiker, byzantinischer und fruhislamischer Zeit, Leipzig 1975, ill. 44.
23 The ivory is generally dated to the 9th—10th century Egypt, Christentum am Nil. Internazionale
Arbeitstagung zur Ausstellung “Koptische Kunst”, ed. by Iv. Wessel, exh. cat., Villa Hiigel, Essen
1963, cat. no. 136; L'art copte, exh. cat., Petit Palais, Paris 1964, cat. no. 81.
24 Castello Sforzesco, Milan, cf. S. Poglayen-Neuwall, “Eine koptische Elfenbeinschnitzerei mit
Anbetungszene aus der Sammlung Trivulzio”, Orientalia Christiana Periodica, VI, 1940, pp.
523 f f.
25 Morgan Ms 612, cf. M. Cramer, Koptische Buchmalerei, Recklinghausen 1964, pp. 59ff; and
Morgan Library MS 574, ibid., pp. 59ff, pl. 7.
26 J. Leroy, “Notes d' archeologie et d'iconographie ethiopiennes”, Annales d'Etkiopie, 1965, pis.
86 (2), 88, 89 (1).
2 P.E. Schramm, Das Herrscherbild in der Kunst des fruhen Mittelalters, “Vortrage der Bibliothek
Warburg”, II, 1924, pp. 145-225 (esp. 177ff).
159
limestone relief depicting two angels flanking the Virgin's throne with raised
wings forming a kind of canopy over her shoulders.22 It is visible also on the
later ivories from Egypt such as the Eleousa ivory in the Walters Art Gallery
in Baltimore, which features two diminutive angels,23 and on the Hodegetria
ivory, now in Milan.24 In both cases the angels form a similar kind of canopy
over the Virgin's head. The same motive is included also on two Coptic
manuscripts dated to the 9th century. The motive of the canopy of wings
became very popular also in late medieval Ethiopian paintings with the Virgin
between angels.26
Once the scheme had established itself, the practice of showing Theotokos
with angels (usually the two archangels, with Gabriel on the right and Michael
on the left side) became a standard pattern in Christian iconography.
Representations of the enthroned Theotokos and adoring archangels forming
her guard joined the repertory of themes in the apses of Byzantine churches too
and was especially popular after iconoclasm (eg. St Sophia in Tessaloniki and
Constantinople, Hosios Lucas, Dafni, Góreme and El Nazar in Cappadocia).
The formal composition is most likely a survival from imperial Roman art
which employed the scheme in portraying the ruler surrounded by followers or
allegorical figures, as is attested by the reliefs contained on the Theodosian
obelisk, the representations on consular diptychs or the miniaturę in the
Yienna manuscript of Dioscurides.27
19 Chapel 1725, Enthroned Virgin Galaktotrophousa and two standing angels as a guard,
cf.: J.E. Quibell, Excavations at Saąąara (1908-1910). The Monastery ofApa Jeremias, Cairo 1912,
pl. XXII.
20 For example Bawit, Chapel no. XXVIII, decorated with the mural showing the enthroned
Theotokos flanked by two angels with thuribles and boxes for incense, identified as the angel of
the Lord and the angel of God, cf. J. Cledat, Le Monastere et la necropole de Baouit (Memoires
de 1’Institut franęais d’archeologie orientale du Caire, vol. XII-1), Cairo 1904, p. 154; and Chapel
no. LV, The Virgin with Child and the two angels with globes and staffs, cf. J. Cledat, A.
Boud’hors, R.-G. Coquin, E. Gaillard, Le Monastere et la necropole de Baouit (ibid., vol. CXI),
Cairo 1999, p. 150, ill. 131-134.
21 Cleveland Museum of Art, cf. D.G. Shepherd, “An Icon of the Virgin”, Bulletin of the
Cleveland Museum of Art, LVI, 1969, 3, pp. 90-120.
22 Coptic Museum, Cairo, inv. no. 8006, cf. A. Effenberger, Koptische Kunst. Agypten in
spdtantiker, byzantinischer und fruhislamischer Zeit, Leipzig 1975, ill. 44.
23 The ivory is generally dated to the 9th—10th century Egypt, Christentum am Nil. Internazionale
Arbeitstagung zur Ausstellung “Koptische Kunst”, ed. by Iv. Wessel, exh. cat., Villa Hiigel, Essen
1963, cat. no. 136; L'art copte, exh. cat., Petit Palais, Paris 1964, cat. no. 81.
24 Castello Sforzesco, Milan, cf. S. Poglayen-Neuwall, “Eine koptische Elfenbeinschnitzerei mit
Anbetungszene aus der Sammlung Trivulzio”, Orientalia Christiana Periodica, VI, 1940, pp.
523 f f.
25 Morgan Ms 612, cf. M. Cramer, Koptische Buchmalerei, Recklinghausen 1964, pp. 59ff; and
Morgan Library MS 574, ibid., pp. 59ff, pl. 7.
26 J. Leroy, “Notes d' archeologie et d'iconographie ethiopiennes”, Annales d'Etkiopie, 1965, pis.
86 (2), 88, 89 (1).
2 P.E. Schramm, Das Herrscherbild in der Kunst des fruhen Mittelalters, “Vortrage der Bibliothek
Warburg”, II, 1924, pp. 145-225 (esp. 177ff).
159