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Source Description
Painted icons of this type are extremely rare, surviving only at the Walters, the Church of Tana Cherqos on Lake Tana, and the Church of Saint Mary at Däbrä Seyon. Painted on five sheets of parchment that have been stitched together and folded, thirty-eight identically sized figures span its surface. The deliberate variation of costumes and hand gestures creates an animated composition. Only the principal nine figures have distinguishing inscriptions. Reading from left to right, they are: Juliet, Cyriacus, George, John the Baptist, Michael, Mary, Raphael, Paul, and Afnin. The unidentified figures are undoubtedly a combination of Old Testament patriarchs and prophets, as well as New Testament apostles and saints. The painting style exhibits close parallels with the illuminations of the Gospel book from Gunda Gunde (W.850), suggesting that this object was also produced by a Stephanite monastery. Although this object adopts the form of a fan, it is perhaps best understood as a processional icon. The wooden panels at either end of the Däbrä Seyon fan indicate that, when not in use, the object was stored much like a book, with its folding leaves protected between paired covers. Yet, when unfolded, the two covers came together to create a handle for a giant wheel that could be displayed during liturgical processions and church services. Although lacking its original wooden covers, the Walters fan would have formed a circle roughly four feet in diameter when unfolded. The Virgin Mary, whose hands are raised in a gesture of prayer, is then at the top of the wheel. By depicting Mary in the company of saints and angels, the icon powerfully evokes the celestial community of the church.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
27195
label
Folding Processional Icon in the Shape of a Fan
core
obj
dtoType
drawing
citationUrl
pageCount
5
Source metadata
id
27195
sourceUrl
contentType
drawing
stage
normalized
title
Folding Processional Icon in the Shape of a Fan
description
Painted icons of this type are extremely rare, surviving only at the Walters, the Church of Tana Cherqos on Lake Tana, and the Church of Saint Mary at Däbrä Seyon. Painted on five sheets of parchment that have been stitched together and folded, thirty-eight identically sized figures span its surface. The deliberate variation of costumes and hand gestures creates an animated composition. Only the principal nine figures have distinguishing inscriptions. Reading from left to right, they are: Juliet, Cyriacus, George, John the Baptist, Michael, Mary, Raphael, Paul, and Afnin. The unidentified figures are undoubtedly a combination of Old Testament patriarchs and prophets, as well as New Testament apostles and saints. The painting style exhibits close parallels with the illuminations of the Gospel book from Gunda Gunde (W.850), suggesting that this object was also produced by a Stephanite monastery. Although this object adopts the form of a fan, it is perhaps best understood as a processional icon. The wooden panels at either end of the Däbrä Seyon fan indicate that, when not in use, the object was stored much like a book, with its folding leaves protected between paired covers. Yet, when unfolded, the two covers came together to create a handle for a giant wheel that could be displayed during liturgical processions and church services. Although lacking its original wooden covers, the Walters fan would have formed a circle roughly four feet in diameter when unfolded. The Virgin Mary, whose hands are raised in a gesture of prayer, is then at the top of the wheel. By depicting Mary in the company of saints and angels, the icon powerfully evokes the celestial community of the church.
provenance
Knopfelmacher Collection, New York [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; William Wright Gallery, New York [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1996, by purchase.
date
late 15th century (Stephanite)
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Painting & Drawing
liturgical objects
fans
icons
paintings
imageCount
5
pageCount
5
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
61.6
height
391.4
depth
12
dimensionsRaw
Extended H: 24 1/4 x W: 154 1/8 x D: 4 3/4 in. (61.6 x 391.4 x 12 cm); Panel H: 24 1/4 x W: 4 1/16 in. (61.6 x 10.3 cm)
style
Gunda Gunde
Source extras
cul
Christian Highland Ethiopian
med
ink and paint on parchment, thread
creator_ids
6264
collection_ids
ETH
exhibition_ids
1958
955
Page inventory
seq
1
type
photo
mediaId
681765a08ca48b56
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
2
type
photo
mediaId
2058b9b805384ee6
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
3
type
photo
mediaId
ff19b65b781f15d0
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
4
type
photo
mediaId
c7c4da3c76779dac
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
5
type
photo
mediaId
5b6ef527d7139753
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no