| Title of the article: |
Ethiopian orthodox scroll-charms of XIX- beginning of XX century |
| Author(s): |
Moskvicheva Y. V. |
| Section: |
Art theory and history |
| Year: |
2016 |
| Issue: |
№ 3 (41) |
| Pages: |
187-193 |
| Index UDK: |
75.04/.05+23/28 |
| Index BBK: |
85.103(3)+86.37 |
| Abstract: |
Christian culture of Ethiopia is one of the oldest in the world. A special branch of Christianity – miafizm or miaphysitism – was formed in this country, and the church was named “The Ethiopian Orthodox Church Tewahedo”. A unique phenomenon in the Ethiopian Christian art of XIX – early XX centuries is its iconic scroll- charms. Subject matter of the scrolls was Christian, but the treatment of them as sacred objects was based on magical thinking. Scrolls were perceived as a kind of amulets or charms that protect a particular person or a whole family, the Ethiopians themselves called them “kitab”. Scroll-charms include icon painting images, prayers and magical geometric pattern. Parchment served as the material for these scrolls, and the image and text were applied in tempera and ink. Their sizes ranged from 1.5 to 2 m in length, and it was determined by the height of the person, who ordered them. Most often the customers were women. The texts were written by special clergymen in the language of Geez. Along the edges (at the beginning and end of the scroll) a graphical representation of a Guardian Angel, an Archangel or a Saint was placed, particular importance was given to the local Saints. Analogies to such images can be found in the folding icons (diptychs, triptychs, polyptych), icons, scrolls, frescoes and Ethiopian manuscripts. As an example we can analyze the “Scroll-charm” of the beginning of XX century (parchment, ink, tempera) from the private museum of Russian icons in Moscow. |
| Keywords: |
scroll-charm, parchment, Guardian Angel, icon, saints, tradition, miaphysitism. |
| Bibliography: |
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