“al-Aiquna al-qibtiya hiwar ‘ala mar al-‘usur" (The Coptic Icon a Dialogue through the Periods),

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Professor of Archeology and Coptic and Islamic Arts, Ain Shams University (Egypt)

Abstract


Different are the Coptic icons displayed and preserved in the Coptic monasteries and churches, in the Coptic Museum in Cairo and in other international archeological museums in the whole world.
In fact, the decoration of the Coptic icon consists of various elements such as the human and animal figures, the floral and geometric designs, the Christian symbols, the Greek, Coptic and Arabic inscriptions. Because of all these decorative units, starting from the sixth to the twentieth centuries AD, the Coptic icon was and is a very interesting dialogue going on through the long historical periods to give important details and information about the Coptic church, monasticism and monks.
This paper focus on the meaning of the iconoclasm and the icon, its various techniques, decorations and brilliant colors, its date, its different roles and functions within the church. It deals also with the most famous and prominent artists who produced the Coptic icons and there different artistic styles and schools.
 

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References

 
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