As defined in Wikipedia, religious art is a visual representation of religious ideologies and their relationship with humans. Sacred art directly relates to religious art since its purpose is for worship and participation in religious rituals and practices. Christian sacred art is specifically created to illustrate and portray in tangible form the principles of Christianity and to provide imagery of different Christian beliefs in the world. Most Christian art is crafted around familiar themes for the intended audience of devotees and includes images of Jesus and narrative scenes from his life, Old Testament scenes, images of the Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus, and images of saints and are mostly associated with Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions. To reach the masses of uneducated followers, a complex but easily recognizable iconographic system of attributes and symbols were developed to identify specific scenes and personages. The VA Christian-Collection includes art and sculpture as well as religious jewelry, including Ethiopian Crosses reflecting the unique tradition and iconography of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
Showing 1–12 of 23 results
This antique brocaded bible or document holder from Bolivia is decorated with symbolic stylized flowers widely used in Christianity: passion flowers and roses. Nicolas Monardes, a 16th century Spanish doctor was one of the first Europeans to see a passion flower which is native to South America, who found 22 species and brought them back…
Other than Jesus, no other figure has been depicted more than Mary (Theotokos in Greek) in Eastern Orthodox imagery. The three handed Madonna originated in the 8th century when icon worship was debated in Eastern and Orthodox churches. In 726 Byzantine Emperor Leo III prohibited religious icon images to be worshiped. He reported to the…
These antique wood carvings were probably on a side altar in a Bolivian Roman Catholic church and are 3 remaining images of a complete presentation of the Twelve Apostles that have been refitted on individual handcrafted bases. Although Apostles have traditionally been portrayed on the walls or entrance doors to Catholic churches, there are no…
No other region has produced the quantity, quality, and diversity as the crosses from the Africa Ethiopian-Highlands, the second nation to adopt Christianity as its official religion. Ethiopian pendant crosses were made in a variety of sizes, designs, styles, and ornamentation which are metaphors for the religious beliefs, ideology, and practices of the Ethiopian Church…
The term Coptic Cross refers to several variants in Christian art associated with the Coptic Orthodox Church in Africa. Coptic crosses from the Orthodox Church of Alexandria were a foundation for Ethiopian Cross design and symbolism. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church historically assimilated pre-Christian symbols and imparted its own meanings to them. A Christian cross with…
Each Coptic cross is one of several variants of a Christian cross associated with the Coptic Orthodox Church in Africa. African metalwork crosses of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria were a foundation for Ethiopian Cross designs and symbolism. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church historically assimilated into their art pre-Christian cross symbols and imparted its own…
No other region has produced the quantity, quality and diversity of the crosses from the Africa Ethiopian Highlands, the second nation to adopt Christianity as its official religion. Ethiopian crosses were made in a variety of sizes, designs, styles and ornamentation which are metaphors for the religious beliefs, ideology and practices of the Ethiopian Church…
No other region has produced the quantity, quality, and diversity as the Christian cross from the Ethiopian Highlands in Africa, an area renowned for having accepted Christianity early in its history and its fine African art and metalwork. This Coptic Cross pendant features two stylized birds under the top circular portion artistically and spiritually transform…
This Ethiopian cross displays the distinctive tri-partite design features of Coptic crosses with its rounded horizontal arms and bottom that symbolize the significance of the Trinity in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Made in the Ethiopian Highlands, the top section contains a portion of a circle. In Coptic beliefs, circles symbolize eternity, Christ’s halo, and the…
This early 20th century Ethiopian cross pendant from the Ethiopian Highlands in Africa is a Coptic cross variant often referred to as an Axum cross where it was crafted using the lost wax technique with melted coin-silver and an attached suspension loop. The circle on the horizontal bar is a variant of older Coptic prototypes…
No other region has produced the quantity, quality, and diversity as the Christian crosses from the Africa Ethiopian-Highlands an area renowned for its unique African art and metalwork The uniqueness of these Crosses reflects influences of many ancient civilizations: Coptic, Celtic, Egyptian, Byzantine, Greek, and Roman. Ethiopia was the second country to make Christianity its…
No other region has produced the quantity, quality and diversity as the crosses from the Africa Ethiopian-Highlands, an area renowned for its unique African-art and African-metalwork. Their uniqueness of reflects influences of many ancient civilizations: Coptic, Celtic, Egyptian, Byzantine, Greek, and Roman. Ethiopia was the second country to make Christianity its official religion but remained…
End of content
End of content