旅行图标 - 银色联盟 - 十字形二联画

Coptic icon in silver alloy shaped like a cross.
Height 9 cm, 12.5 cm when opened, width 5 cm.

Travel icons, being tools of personal devotion, were often kept in pockets, bags, or suitcases. They were considered a way to carry spirituality and protection during the adventures and challenges encountered along the path.

Belonging to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, which in turn is united with the Oriental Orthodox Church, the Ethiopians for centuries profess their faith consistently and tenaciously, recounting the events and earthly facts of Christ, Mary, the Saints and the main doctrinal references. One of the highest expressions of this sacred art is the icons, painted by priests and monks in the Coptic monasteries. The preferred subjects are the Virgin Mary, Christ and the Saints, among whom the most celebrated is Saint George, patron saint of Ethiopia, depicted while he fights the dragon.

That of Ethiopian icons is a painting absolutely unique in all of Africa, because over time it has absorbed different influences: from Byzantine to Armenian, to Syrian, Palestinian, Italian and Indian, until it renders its exclusive style characterized by harmonious forms in constant change.

In portraying these delicate subjects, two main styles are used. The first, the oldest, medieval in tradition, is characterized by flat depictions, with distinctive features generally codified such as the color of the saints’ faces, which is white or pink, and the devil’s face, which is only black. Positive figures are depicted facing forward or in three-quarter view, while the wicked are always profile. Later, in addition to religious representations, naturalistic subjects were also painted, themes related to the myth of the Queen of Sheba, scenes of hunting and convivial scenes.

This representation faithfully re-proposes the ancient religious tradition: on the upper part Jesus Christ is depicted blessing the faithful, on the lower part the Crucifixion.

According to the Bible, the patriarch Noah, after the flood, had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth - according to the peoples of Asia, Africa, and Eurasia. Shem became the progenitor of the Hebrew and Arab peoples; Japheth the ancestor of the peoples today Turkish and Greek and Ham the peoples along the Nile up to Ethiopia.
This includes the Ethiopians from the beginning in the history of salvation of the Sacred Book.

In Ethiopia, Orthodox Christianity flourished especially in the north where there are high mountains with peaks over 4,000 meters. In this area, in the legendary city of Gondar and around the great Lake Tana, the art of painting Orthodox icons flourished.
Ethiopian icons have a somewhat naive look by Western canons due to the large eyes, the heads often oversized, and the very vivid colors.

Careful packing and shipment via registered mail with tracking number.