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Symposium on Nubian Studies <2, 1972, Warschau> [Editor]; Society for Nubian Studies [Editor]; Michałowski, Kazimierz [Oth.]
Nubia: récentes recherches ; actes du Colloque Nubiologique International au Musée National de Varsovie, 19 - 22 Juin 1972 — Varsovie: Musée National, 1975

DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.47598#0190

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Laszlo Török

Man in the Vessel;
an Interpretation of a Nubian
Fresco Representation
The Dutch Nubian expedition, acting under the direction of Professor Klasens, excavated in
1963-64 the citadel church of Abdallah Nirqi1. The fresco ornamentation of the church, built about
the middle of the 8th century, and removed from the walls by the Dutch mission2,’was published by
Mr. van Moorsei in the publication of the Conference on Nubiology in Essen3. Here I should like
to make a few remarks on one of the frescoes, originating from two different periods, viz. on the
fresco preserved from the second painting, in consideration of the fact that, to my knowledge, this
representation is unique, by way of its theme, and so not only in Nubian medieval painting but in
medieval Christian iconography in general.
The fresco in question (figs 1-3) has come to light on the southern wall of the southern aisle of
the church4. It represents a mounted saint, riding a white horse at a slow-pace. Between the legs
of the horse the trunk of a naked, bearded man’s figure emerges from a storage vessel. Above his
head, fragments of an inscription in paint can be seen. The more legible letters thereof have been
published by Mr. van Moorsei, though without completing the text, as follows: ΚγρίλΕΟΟΝ.,.Άά5.
The supplicatory content of the text even thus could be ascertained6.
The fresco dates back, according to its publisher, to the years about 980; and does so
especially on the basis of stylistic criterion. The starting point to this was rendered, naturally, by
the Faras frescoes7. I feel that, to a certain extent, the dating can be improved, not so much on the
basis of the style of the mounted saint, but rather with the help of the unique features of the part
representing the man enclosed in a vessel. The finishing of the face of the small figure is, more or
less, repeated on several Faras frescoes8, though with the exception of the quite individual and
expressive shaping of the eyebrows. This has only one analogy in Faras and, so far as I know, in
Nubia in general, viz. left of the southern entrance to the cathedral on the outer wall, on the face
of the archangel Michael9 (fig. 4). This fresco is unique in the Faras material as well. Professor
Michalowski states that “der Kopf des Erzengels ... hat keine Verwanschaft mit den anderen
Bildern von Faras, offensichtlich ist es das Werk eines grossen Meisters”, who very likely did also
the painting in the “Kirche am Südhang” at the time immediately ensuing the year 93Ο10. The
1 Abdallah Nirqi is a settlement in the territory of Egyptian Nubia, on the western bank of the Nile, 4 kms north
of Abu Simbel; inhabited in the 4th to the 12th centuries. On the citadel church see A. Klasens, De Nederlandse
Opgravingen en Nubie (tweede seizoen: 1963-1964), Phoenix, X (1964), pp. 147-56; H. D. Schneider, Abdallah Nirqi—
Description and Chronology of the Central Church, in: E. Dinkier, Ed., Kunst und Geschichte Nubiens in Christlicher
Zeit, Recklinghausen 1970, (in the following: KuGN), pp. 87-98; P. P. V. van Moorsei, Der Kontext der
Wandmalereien von Abdallah Nirqi. Perspektiven und Fragen, Acta Orientalia Neerlandica, Proc. Congr. Dutch
Oriental Society 8th-9th May 1970, Ed. P. W. Westman, Leiden 1971, pp. 22-7.
2 The removal was made by Yugoslav restorers, see Μ. Pirnat, Snemanje in konserviranje koptskich fresk v
Egiptovski in Sudanski Nubiji, Varstvo Spomenikov, IX (1962-64), pp. 101-40, 114 ff.
3 P. P. V. van Moorsei, Die Wandmalereien der zentralen Kirche von Abdallah Nirqi, KuGN, pp. 103-8.
4 van Moorsei, KuGN, figs. 46, 39; p. 104.
5 Ibid., in the caption of fig. 39.
6 Ibid., p. 106 (Summary).
7 K. Michalowski, Faras, die Kathedrale aus dem Wüstensand, Einsiedeln-Zürich-Köln 1967 (in the following:
Michalowski, Kathedrale).
s Melchior: Michalowski, Kathedrale, pl. 26; hermit Ammone: ibid., pl. 31; Joh. Chrysostomos, ibid., pl. 39; bishop
Kyros: ibid., pl. 37; a diacon: ibid., pl. 43; bishop Petros: ibid., pl. 57.
9 Michalowski, Kathedrale, pis. 49-50, pp. 129 ff.
10 Ibid., p. 130.

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