Egyptian, 3rd - 5th century C.E.
Coptic Head of Youth
Limestone, polychrome
10 ½ x 5 ½ x 7 in.
MSU purchase, funded by Martin Soria Memorial Fund, 64.90
 |
Coptic art, from the Egyptian Christian community dating from
the 5th - 8th century, often blends Greco-Roman, Egyptian and
Christian motifs. This sculptural head found in the Skeikh
Abada, a village located on the east bank of the Nile, was
probably housed in a funerary chapel or tomb of someone from
the upper classes. The stylized features – frontal pose,
large eyes, straight nose and upturned mouth – are characteristic
of Coptic sculpture, as is the brightly painted surface. The
iconic representation demonstrates the desire to reveal a conventional
type rather than a realistic representation or a particular
person. |
