Double-Sided Pendant with the Virgin and Child with Saint George and the Kwer'atä Reesu with Täklä Haymanot and donor
(Ethiopia)
This small icon was worn around the neck to ward off evil; it could be hung with either side facing out. This is a small replica of the famous icon known as the "Kwerata Reesu" (Christ with the Crown of Thorns), believed to protect the whole kingdom of Ethiopia. Allegiance to the emperor was sworn on the "Kwerata Reesu," and it accompanied him on military expeditions.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Knopfelmacher Collection, New York [date and mode of acquisition unknown] [Knopfelmacher 1]; William Wright Gallery, New York [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1996, by purchase.
Exhibitions
2006-2007 | Angels of Light: Ethiopian Art from the Walters Art Museum. Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham; Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton; Museum of Biblical Art, New York. |
2002-2005 | Realms of Faith: Medieval and Byzantine Art from the Walters Art Museum. Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Nashville. |
2001-2002 | Realms of Faith: Medieval and Byzantine Art from the Walters Art Museum. Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Nashville. |
1996 | Ethiopian Art at The Walters. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Geographies
Ethiopia, Gondar (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H with one panel open: 3 7/16 x W: 4 x D: 5/8 in. (8.7 x 10.1 x 1.55 cm); H with two panels open: 3 7/16 x W: 5 9/16 x D: 5/8 in. (8.7 x 14.1 x 1.55 cm); Closed H: 3 7/16 x W: 2 7/16 x D: 5/8 in. (8.7 x 6.2 x 1.55 cm); Center panel H: 3 1/2 x W: 2 1/2 in. (8.89 x 6.35 cm); Folding panels H: 2 5/16 x W: 1 7/8 in. (5.87 x 4.76 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase with funds provided by the W. Alton Jones Foundation Acquisition Fund, 1996
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
36.5