Icon
date: label: Date
content: Early 16th century
name: label: Maker
content: Ethiopian Orthodox
notes: label: Label Text
content: While Mary is most often depicted wearing a blue shawl, Ethiopian artists in the mid-16th century began painting the shawl red, a practice that related to their study of Cretan icons. The Ge'ez inscriptions found on the icons are instrumental in identifying specific individuals. For instance, St. Merkorewos traditionally rides a black, not a white horse; and the two monks holding prayer sticks are almost identical.
label: Label Text
content: Left panel
label: Label Text
content: top: "St. Merkorewos" (St. Mercurius)
label: Label Text
content: bottom: "Abba Gebremenfeskdus" (Gabra Manfas Queddus)
label: Label Text
content: Center panel
label: Label Text
content: "St. Mary with Her Beloved Son" flanked by the archangels "St. Michael" (left) and "St. Gabriel" (right)
label: Label Text
content: Right panel
label: Label Text
content: top: "St. George"
label: Label Text
content: bottom: "Abba Teklehaymanot" (Takla Haymanot)
label: Description
content: Triptych of distemper and gesso on wood. Depicted in the left and right panels: Top register are equestrian Saints on white horses, bottom register, saint with red cloak, book, hand cross and conical hat The central panel is Mary and Christ child flanked by archangels with swords. Mary has a red cloak/shawl and holds the child in her proper right arm.
label: Description
content: The central panel is Mary and Christ child flanked by archangels with swords. Mary has a red cloak/shawl and holds the child in her proper right arm.
label: Provenance
content: Ciro Taddeo, purchased in Addis Ababa,1972
label: Provenance
content: Mary Garland, Arlington, Virginia 1972 to 1998
label: Exhibition History
content: African Art and The Shape of Time, University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor, August 18, 2012-February 3, 2013
label: Exhibition History
content: Inscribing Meaning: Writing and Graphic Systems in African Art, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, May 9- August 26, 2007; Fowler Museum at University of California, Los Angeles, October 14, 2007-February 17, 2008
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, Erica E. 2005. "Technical Study of Ethiopian Icons, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution." Journal of the American Institute for Conservation, 44 (1), p. 41-45, nos. 1-7.
label: Published References
content: Kreamer, Christine, Mary Nooter Roberts, Elizabeth Harney and Allyson Purpura. 2007. Inscribing Meaning: Writing and Graphic Systems in African Art. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution; Milan: 5 Continents Editions, pp. 92-93, no. 7.4.
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: weapon
label: Topic
content: Writing
label: Topic
content: horse
label: Topic
content: angel
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African Art Collection
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Mary Garland in memory of Robert Lewis Garland
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African Art
identifier: label: Object number
content: 98-2-1
objectType: label: Type
content: Painting
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: Distemper and gesso on wood
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D: 16.7 x 26.7 x 1.5 cm (6 9/16 x 10 1/2 x 9/16 in.)