African Art: Ethiopian Art: Diptych Icon of Mary and Christ

This diptych is an Ethiopian Orthodox icon. For the Orthodox Christian, this icon is a holy likeness of the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child, as well as a heavenly assembly of worshiping saints. Belonging to the liturgy of the Ethiopian Church, this image is not just a work of art to be admired aesthetically. For the believer, the Orthodox icon is an instrument of faith through which the holy figures might be venerated. Let's examine how the diptych format, devotional iconography, and distinct visual language of this sacred image all support that devotional purpose. The size and format of this diptych is similar to a book. In the context of the Orthodox liturgy, this icon could have been carried in procession and displayed on an altar. The diptych's two panels could have been attached so that it would open and close like a book. This format had both a functional and a sacred purpose. Practically, closing the diptych protected the icon's vibrant images. Liturgically, opening the diptych revealed the marvelous icon. The resemblance of this icon's format and size to a book reminds us that its role in the Orthodox liturgy is akin to that of a sacred text. For the Orthodox believer, the icon is a means by which God is revealed. This icon's principal image is the Virgin Mary and her son Jesus Christ. Naturally, they are depicted as Ethiopian. The mother and child are guarded by the sword-bearing archangels Michael and Gabriel. These heavenly warriors spiritually situate this moment of tender interaction in the realm of the supernatural. On the facing panel, we see a company of saints who are assembled in veneration of the Virgin and Child. Each saint can be identified by an inscription written in Ge'ez. Ge'ez is the liturgical language of the Ethiopian Church. Similar to Greek in the Byzantine Church, the figure on horseback is Saint George, one of the most celebrated warrior saints in Ethiopia. The three rows of saints, all turned in the direction of Mary and Christ, form a congregation of believers who model, for the presumed Orthodox worshiper, a proper veneration. In keeping with the purpose of this icon, these saints are not depicted pictorially or arranged in a narrative. They are united by liturgy. This row of saints has a visual rhythm that would have paralleled the sounds in the ceremony of the Orthodox liturgy. Compositional movement is created through a balance of visual similarities and differences. Notice, for example, how these saints have very similarly shaped eyes, which are carefully, but not rigidly, aligned. But the faces of these saints are all slightly different. The similarities of these saints give form to a pattern, and their variation activates this design. Also, the visual tempo of their hands creates a visual procession that echoes the structure of the liturgy of prayers. Offered in the presence of this holy icon, the design, iconography, and visual language of this Ethiopian icon all proceed from its purpose as an instrument of adoration. For the Orthodox Christian, the icon is not merely a depiction of the Virgin Mary and Christ, it is a likeness by which they are made present.