CC0 · no rights reserved
Icon
From the collection of National Museum of African Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
The tender, interactive pose of Mary and the Christ child is developed from an Italian engraving (copied from an icon in Rome's Santa Maria Maggiore), which Jesuit missionaries introduced to Ethiopia early in the 17th century. The placement of Michael and Gabriel and the juxtaposition of imagery of Mary and St. George slaying a serpentlike dragon are traditional Ethiopian imagery. The elaboration of the clothing, particularly the use of patterned textiles, reflects the richness of court life and the use of Indian fabrics. The detail of Mary's white pleated cap, however, probably derives from Cretan icons.
National Museum of African Art’s own descriptionSubjects
Credit lineIcon. Late 17th century. Ethiopian Orthodox. National Museum of African Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Frank W. Erwin. CC0.
