Icon
date: label: Date
content: Early 16th century
name: label: Maker
content: Ethiopian Orthodox
notes: label: Label Text
content: The men holding hand crosses in the manner of Ethiopian priests probably represent the apostles and other saints. Although it is difficult to identify individual saints without inscriptions or obvious attributes, there are conventions that can be applied. For example, Saint Theodore rides a red horse and good persons are shown in full or three-quarter view while villains, such as the crucified thieves, are depicted in profile.
label: Label Text
content: Left panel
label: Label Text
content: top: Christ's Descent into Sheol (Underworld), Eve and Adam, and the Just awaiting rescue
label: Label Text
content: middle: Saints
label: Label Text
content: bottom: St. George and the dragon
label: Label Text
content: Central panel
label: Label Text
content: top: Mary and the Christ child flanked by the archangels Michael and Gabriel
label: Label Text
content: middle:The red mantle over a blue dress that Mary wears shows the influence of Italo-Cretan icons. Saints
label: Label Text
content: bottom: Left to right: the equestrian saint Theodore, saints and unidentified equestrian saints
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content: Right panel
label: Label Text
content: left: The Crucifixion with Mary and St. John the Evangelist, the two crucified thieves
label: Label Text
content: middle: Saints
label: Label Text
content: bottom: Equestrian saint
label: Description
content: Triptych of distemper, gesso and cloth on wood. Left panel: Adam and Eve being redeemed from original sin; Saints; St. George. Central panel: Madonna and child; Saints. Right panel: Crucifixion; Saints, St. George.
label: Provenance
content: Ciro Taddeo, purchased in Addis Ababa, 1972 to 1998
label: Exhibition History
content: Ethiopian Icons: Faith and Science, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., January 31-October 5, 2003
label: Published References
content: James, E. E. 2005. Technical Study of Ethiopian Icons, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution. Journal of the American Institute for Conservation. Washington, DC. 44 (1): 41,46 no.8.
label: Published References
content: Kreamer, Christine Mullen. 2012. African Cosmos: Stellar Arts. Washington, D.C.: National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution; New York: Monacelli Press, pp. 154-155, no. 8.1.
label: Content Statement
content: As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.
label: Image Requests
content: High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/
place: label: Geography
content: Ethiopia
topic: label: Topic
content: equestrian
label: Topic
content: mother and child
label: Topic
content: snake
label: Topic
content: weapon
label: Topic
content: cross
label: Topic
content: sun
label: Topic
content: horse
label: Topic
content: moon
label: Topic
content: angel
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African Art Collection
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Ciro R. Taddeo in memory of Dr. Volker Stitz, Ph.D.
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African Art
identifier: label: Object number
content: 98-3-1
objectType: label: Type
content: Painting
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: Distemper, gesso and cloth on wood
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D: 31 x 41.5 x 1.4 cm (12 3/16 x 16 5/16 x 9/16 in.)