Illustrative model — an approximation, not a scan of the original object.
c. 550 – 800 CE
Icon of Christ and Abbot Mena
References date it variously between the sixth and eighth centuries CE.
- Material
- Wax and tempera on sycamore-fig wood
- Dimensions
- c. 57 × 57 cm
- Findspot
- The Monastery of Apa Apollo at Bawit, Middle Egypt
- Discovery
- Found in Jean Clédat’s French excavations at Bawit at the start of the twentieth century; now in the Louvre.
- Held by
- Musée du Louvre, Paris
- Inventory number
- E 11565
Christ rests his arm on the shoulder of Abbot Mena, head of the monastery, both facing the viewer. The large eyes and simple lines are typical of Coptic art.
Certainty: Probable
It is among the oldest known Coptic icons.
Scholarly note: This depends on its date, which is debated.
- Wikipedia “Icon of Christ and Abbot Mena — Wikipedia” en.wikipedia.org
Certainty: Debated
Some references date it to the sixth or seventh century, others to the eighth.
Scholarly note: We could not consult the Louvre notice directly, so both dates are given.
- Wikipedia “Icon of Christ and Abbot Mena — Wikipedia” en.wikipedia.org
- Harvard University “Icon of Christ and Abbot Mena — Harvard Art History image archive (after the Louvre notice)” haaimagehosting.omeka.fas.harvard.edu