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 CONTENTS

Acknowledgements page vil

FOREWORD by Dr. M. Murray ix

INTRODUCTION xi

THE DESIGNS

Appendix A

Appendix B

PLATES
 The Copyright
of all or part of this book
is reserved
by the
{merican University of Beirut
and the Author.

FIRST EDITION
Jerusalem, 1956
limited to thirteen copies
numbered 1 to 10 and A to C
published
by the Author
printed by
John Anastasiades
and the Karam Press
Jerusalem

SECOND EDITION
Beirut, 1958
revised and expanded
limited to two hundred copies
numbered 1 to 200
of which this is no.
4
+r

published by
the Faculty of Arts and Sciences
The American University of Beirut
Printed by
Harb Bijani
and designed by
the Author.
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

THE first edition of this book contained less than half the plates and only
a single page of text, but it was its circulation and the interest it aroused that
led me to study tattooing in Jerusalem more thoroughly. In the beginning no
one gave me greater encouragement than Gerald Lankester Harding, who was
then Director of Antiquities for Jordan.
Among the many people who have answered particular queries I am
especially grateful to Canon Every of St. Georges, Jerusalem; to Said Zakaa
Matta of the Coptic Convent and Brother Peter of the Syrian Convent, also of
Jerusalem; to Pére Misrlian of the Université St. Joseph and M. HenriSeyrig of
the Institut Frangais d’Archéologie, Beirut. As for the photographic plates, nos.
II and VII were taken by Miss Myrtle Winter and nos. III - VI by Professor
Arthur Frick, whose wife, Fay Frick, most kindly helped me at short notice to
take prints from the original wood-blocks. I thank M. Harb Bijjani, the printer,
for his patience and co-operation; and Mr. Jacob Razzouk, the tattooer, for
lending me the blocks and answering my questions on sucessive visits to
Jerusalem.
I am indebted to the Faculty of Arts and Sciences of the American Uni-
versity of Beirut for granting the funds to publish the book. My special thanks
go to Miss Honor Frost, for her helpful criticism and for unravelling the worst
knots in my English style.
Lastly, I would like to record my thanks to Dr. Margaret Murray, who not
only contributed the Foreword but her sustained interest; it is not too much to
say that without her generous encouragement, the book would never have
been written.
 FOREWORD

OPTIC Art is so little known that it offers an almost

6 untouched field of study. Though there were many
groups of Christians elsewhere, Egypt was the first
country to adopt Christianity as the national religion. The
Coptic Church is therefore the oldest national church in the
world ;and as such is of vital importance in the study of all
aspects of early Christianity. Many villages in Upper and
Middle Egypt have early Coptic remains, varying from a
hermit’s cave with rudely marked crosses on the rocky sides,
to churches whose walls still preserve stately figures of Holy
personages painted in the style which shows the origin of
Byzantine art. Besides the great painters there were in the
villages craftsmen who designed and made the objects which
lend a religious fervour to daily life. Among such objects
were tattoo designs. These naive and charming designs have
a deep underlying significance, for they express that passio-
nate devotion which supported the Coptic church, even to
its poorest members, through centuries of persecution. At the
present day when persecution is little more than a memory,
the Copts are tattooed on the inner side of each wrist with
a sign of a cross, and sometimes with a large design - e.g.
Christ in glory on the upper part of the arm. The very in-
destructibility of the method symbolises to the Copt his own
undying faith.

M. A. Murray
as -
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 INTRODUCTION
‘The next morning nothing extraordinary happened, which gave many of the
pilgrims leisure to have their arms marked with the usual ensigns of Jerusalem’

Henry Maundrell
March 27th, 1697 (Easter Saturday)

N the old City of Jerusalem one afternoon in 1956 I

discovered a collection of woodblocks which struck me
as unique in character. They were owned by a Coptic
tattooer who used them to stamp designs on pilgrims’ arms
as a guide for his needle. With his permission I borrowed
the blocks and had them printed on paper; I was so im-
pressed by the charm and variety of the designs that I
started to make inquiries into their origins and also the
the extent and purpose of their present use. The artistic,
anthropological, religious and iconographic interest of the
designs will be apparent and there are many scholars more
competent than I to comment on these special aspects of
the collection. My original interest in the designs was zsthe-
tic, but in presenting them in a book form I have recorded
the results of my researches. These were based on conver-
sations with the tattooer and members of the various churches
in Jerusalem, supplemented by material from books on
pilgrim customs, the eastern churches and tattooing in general.
The tattooer, Jacob Razzouk, is the head of a family
belonging to the small Coptic community in Jerusalem,
where his ancestors settled in the eighteenth century, coming
from Egypt. I was first attracted to his shop, a coffin-maker’s,
XIl INTRODUCTION

by a sign on the door advertising tattooing; this seemed to

me such an odd combination of activities that I questioned
him about it. He told me that he was both the proprietor
and the tattooer, but that there was no direct association
between his two occupations. When I showed an interest in
tattooing he told me a lot about his craft and offered to show
me his tools and methods; it was then that I first saw the
wooden blocks. The craft has been passed down in the
Razzouk family for generations; the majority of his customers
are Copts from Egypt who want a permanent souvenir of
their visit to the Holy Land. Tattooing is a seasonal trade
with a peak period of business at Easter; this is therefore his
reason for combining it with another profession. In an ave-
rage year he tattooes at least two hundred Copts. All Coptic
pilgrims are virtually obliged to be tattooed as their compat-
riots would not consider a pilgrimage valid without this vi-
sible sign. As for his other customers, they include pilgrims
of most of the Christian denominations. This is confirmed by
the presence of Armenian, Syrian, Latin, Abyssinian and Slav
designs in the collection; one curiosity is a Hebrew design.
The blocks are the most important part of Razzouk’s
equipment. They serve a double funcion: firstly, they provide
his customers with a rudimentary catalogue from which a
design may be chosen and secondly, provide the means whe-
reby the desired design can be stamped onto the skin. This
is accomplished by lightly inking the surface of the block
and pressing it firmly on the flesh, leaving the reversed
image as a guide for his needle. Personally, I do not know
 INTRODUCTION XII

of another instance of a tattooer having a similar set of

blocks. Usually tattooers either copy designs by eye, or the
designs are composed and drawn directly onto the skin. The
idea of having the designs permanently carved on blocks
may have been introduced for the sake of speed; obviously
it is quicker to stamp the design than to draw it out la-
boriously and Razzouk is obliged to work under exceptional
conditions, as most of his customers come at the same time.
I myself have seen more than twenty Copts waiting to be
tattooed in his house at Easter. Often whole families are
tattooed simultaneously.
The designs are carved on blocks of closely grained
olive wood. Varying greatly in size, they range from quarter
of an inch to an inch in thickness. Some of the blocks are
carved on both faces. A glance at the prints will show great
variety of style and execution, indicating they were carved
by different hands; Razzouk says by different members of
his family. The blocks are carved in the cameo technique,
i.e. the printing surface is a relief line standing away from
the body of the block (see Plates III and IV) There is no
record of what tools were used to cut them, as none of them
were cut during Razzouk’s memory ; the intricacy and depth
of some of the carving suggests that special tools, like gouges,
must have been employed as well as a sharp knife. The
procedure can be seen in a few places where the blocks were
abandonned before being completed (nos. 36, 94a, 104, 134a).
They show that the design was carved first in silhouette,
possibly following finely engraved guide lines (no. 104) and
XIV INTRODUCTION

then completed by cutting away the details within the

silhouette.
After the design has been transferred to the skin it is
pricked into the flesh with a needle dipped in ink. Razzouk’s
technique differs from that of his ancestors, as he owns an
electric automatic needle sent to him by a brother in Ame-
rica. This instrument has the commercial advantage of tat-
tooing in several different colours. Until he acquired it he
used the old method of a set of needles bound in a stick,
which was a long and painful process. Even so, the execu-
tion of one of the more complicated designs still demands a
certain amount of stamina from the pilgrim. When the de-
sign is first pricked the outline is sharp and definite ;the arm
becomes swollen and inflamed for two or three days and
the customer is told to rub oil into the wound to ease the
pain. When the swelling subsides the design is not so well
defined and it will fade slightly with the passage of time. In
the case of children, tattoos become blurred and distorted
as they grow up. It follows that when the blocks are printed
on paper, as they are in this book, the designs are far clearer
than they would be on a pilgrim’s arm.’ The process of
tattooing imposes a limitation on the designer as he cannot
include much detail; considering the rigid conventions these
works show a remarkable variety.
Razzouk tattooes men, women and children. The po-
sition of the tattoo varies according to the sex of the custo-

1 The designs are taken from hand prints of the wood blocks ; they are reproduced
actual size
 INTRODUCTION XV

mer and the design. The cross, for instance, is one of the
symbols commonly placed on the inside of the right wrist.
The more complicated designs tend to be tattooed on the
upper arm. Some female customers prefer designs on the
inside of the upper arm, or on the leg just above the knee.
The back of the hand is the usual location for small crosses
with equal arms. Also, four dots in the shape of a cross are
often placed at the base of one or more fingers. His own
family are all tattooed with such crosses. Persons who have
sprained or injured their arms are occasionally tattooed with
a continuous band of dots.
This kind of therapeutic tattooing is not part of his
usual pilgrim trade; but it is commonly practised elsewhere
in the east. A book by Winifred Blackman written after the
author had lived among villagers in Upper Egypt at the be-
ginning of the present century has an interesting and relevant
passage.’ She notes that tattooers were numerous and they
usually set up a booth in the market-place with their designs
hung all around it. They used instruments made from seven
needles set in a short stick and plastered round to prevent
them from moving, in the same way Lane described almost
a hundred years earlier.” The pigment was a mixture of
lamp black and either oil or water. Tattooing was popular
among Moslems of both sexes for various reasons, the chief
being prophylactic; whatever the customer considered to be
a physically vulnerable area would be tattooed with a series
! ‘The Fellahin of Upper Egypt’ (1927) by Winif red S. Blackman
2 ‘Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians’ (1835) by E. W. Lane
XVI INTRODUCTION

of dots. She cites a case of a man tattooed with a de-

sign of birds, one on each temple, as a cure of headaches.
Another man had a fish tattooed on his wrist, claiming
that he had been in the possession of an ’afrit, or evil
spirit, and that this symbol had delivered him from its
clutches. Women were often tattooed with dots on the up-
per side of their fingers to make them stronger in manual
labour.
As for Copts, she says that they were invariably tat-
tooed with a cross on the inner side of the wrist. It was
thought at that time amongst the country people that the
Abyssinians would one day invade and that all the fellahin,
Copts and Moslems alike, would be massacred unless they
could show the sign of the cross to the invaders. One pas-
sage directly relates to the designs in this book:
‘One Coptic friend of mine, a man in good posi-
tion, showed me some tattoo marks on his arm.
There was an elaborate design on the inner side of
his arm below which were the two dates on which he
had gone on pilgrimage to Jerusalem, 1911 and 1914.
Another Copt told me that his little sister also had
the year of her visit to Jerusalem tattooed on one
arm, and in future every sucessive pilgrimage would
be similarly recorded. Her mother, who had per-
formed the pilgrimage on several occasions had each
year of this event tattooed on one of her arms. Tat-
tooing can thus be a means of record keeping.’
 INTRODUCTION XVII

The other Christian churches in Jerusalem, such as the

Armenian, Abyssinian, Syrian, Russian; Greek and Latin
have different attitudes towards tattooing. The only profes-
sional tattooer in Jerusalem apart from Razzouk is an Ar-
menian. He has a shop opposite the main entrance to the
Armenian Cathedral of St. James. Like Razzouk, his father
was a tattooer and tattooing is a part-time occupation. He
estimates that he tattoos between five and seven hundred
Armenian pilgrims each Easter and a few members of other
denominations as well. He uses an electric needle and the
same technique as Razzouk but whereas the latter works
from the printed impression of his blocks, the former draws
his design on the flesh in the conventional way. As a refe-
rence both for himself and his customers he has a collection
of designs hung on the walls of his small shop. The designs
are grouped in seven frames; five contain designs that are
obviously modern and of no great interest. The remainder
are so similar to the Coptic designs that they may be consi-
dered as an extension of the Coptic series. The first frame
contains fifty or more designs traced in a fine pencil line,
filling a single sheet of paper. The second frame contains
approximately twenty designs filling the lower half of a sheet
of paper only, drawn in pencil and inked over with a pen.
The designs are similar in scale, range of subjects and style
to the Coptic collection. I suggest that they were taken from
a similar series of wooden blocks which had either been
impressed on, or placed behind, the paper and traced. The
Armenian tattooer knows nothing of the origin of these two
XVIII INTRODUCTION

sheets as he inherited them from his father. He himself has

never used wood blocks, neither does he recollect his father
having used any. Probably the blocks were borrowed by his
father solely to trace the designs. Who owns the blocks is a
mystery; they may be still in existence somewhere in the Old
City. None of the Armenian designs, although often similar,
are exactly the same as any of the Coptic designs; this suggests
an original collection of wood blocks divided at some stage
of its history, of which only those belonging to Razzouk are
now known. In addition to the designs which repeat the
subjects in the Coptic Collection, there are several of the
Cathedral at Etchmiadzin in Armenia; I was surprised to
see two mermaids (see no. 2) but these may have been for the
occasional Egyptian pilgrim.
The Abyssinians, a community of about sixty persons,
live beside their chapel on the roof of the Church of the
Holy Sepulchre; they give hospitality to between twenty and
thirty pilgrims annually. The pilgrims are all tattooed as a
matter of course by Mr. Razzouk. Their choice of design is
usually a cross with equal arms tattooed on the back of the
hand between the base of the thumb and the first finger.
Additionally, a Resurrection or Crucifixion is sometimes
tattooed on the inner forearm, with the date of the pilgri-
mage in Amharic. There is every reason to suppose the
tattooing of Christian symbols amongst the Abyssinians is a
long established custom; a traveller noted it as early as 1660.’

| see L. Keimer’s ‘Remarques sur le Tatouage dans L’Egypte Ancienne’, L’Institut

Francais d’Archeologie Orientale, le Caire, (1948); p. 72, footnote.
 INTRODUCTION XIX

The Syrian Orthodox community numbers about one

thousand five hundred, and roughly two hundred Syrians
make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem annually. The majority of
the pilgrims are tattooed by Razzouk. Some years ago Father
Joseph of the Syrian Convent tattooed the pilgrims; but after
Razzouk’s electric needle arrived the pilgrims turned to him
instead as he is both faster and less painful. On their first
visit Syrian pilgrims are tattooed on the upper inside right
forearm with a design, usually the Resurrection, and a cross
on the back of the hand between the base of the thumb
and the first finger. This cross has equal arms and is worn
by priests and men, but not women. The date of the pilgri-
mage, if indicated, is usually recorded in Syriac. An old
custom, now rare, was the tattooing of a star on the back
of the hand at the base of the third and fourth fingers rep-
resenting the star of Bethlehem. An ordinary long cross 1s
sometimes tattooed on the inner wrist as an alternative or
in addition to the equal-sided cross on the hand. Girls have
a small cross tattooed on the upper arm where it is concealed
by the dress; its position is dictated by vanity rather than
any particular motive. Virgin girls often chose Annunciation
designs as they are considered to increase their chances of
having children later; in this context these designs assume
the character of fertility symbols rather than marks of devo-
tion. It is a common practise to have a tattoo which alludes
to one’s name; for instance, Father Behnam recently had a
design of St. Behnam pricked on his arm, prior to leaving
the Syrian Convent for the Lebanon. If a pilgrim makes
 XX INEFRODUC TION

more than one visit to Jerusalem he will be tattooed on the

left arm as well as the right.
Russian pilgrims used to visit the Holy Land in great
numbers but they have been few in recent years and I have
unable to obtain any particular information about them.
The presence of the Slav inscription (no. 69) suggests the
| pilgrims would be likely to be tattooed.
Every year there are about one thousand five hundred
Greek Orthodox pilgrims, mainly from Cyprus; but the
number tattooed is very small. Tattooing is frowned upon
by the Church itself, for reasons I was unable to determine
precisely. Greeks from the mainland and Cypriots are almost
never tattooed; the few instances that occur are amongst
Greek pilgrims from countries where they have been influ-
enced by the customs of other oriental Christians.
Latin pilgrims visit Jerusalem in very large numbers ;
they are occasionally tattooed. As for the attitude of the
Latin Church, a Father in Jerusalem said that the Latins
did not frown on the practise; whether or not a pilgrim
would have this sort of souvenir depended entirely on the
pilgrim himself. On the other hand, a parish priest in Cyprus
with many years of experience organising pilgrimages dog-
matically condemned the custom and said he had never
observed it among Catholics. Razzouk says he sometimes
tattoos Latin pilgrims; some of the designs certainly seem
to be Latin in origin. There are instances of Catholics
being tattooed outside of the Holy Land, in southern Italy
 INTRODUCTION XXI
elsewhere.’ It is difficult in face of conflicting evidence to
decide what proportion of the pilgrims to Jerusalem are
tattooed.
To summarize, it appears that tattooing is a general
custom amongst the Coptic, Armenian, Abyssinian, Syrian
and probably Russian pilgrims, whilst it is rare amongst the
Greeks and Latins; being in some cases definitely criticised
by the churches concerned.” It should also be noted that
Anglicans and Protestants do not usually acquire this parti-
cular kind of souvenir.
Besides the specialised Christian application of tattooing
two sorts of secular tattooing must be noted. First, the tat-
tooing of visiting foreign soldiers, mainly English and Aust-
tralian, which was very common in Jerusalem during the
war period. Both Razzouk and the Armenian tattooer have
a large number of designs created specially to supply this
demand, bearing no relation to their religious subjects. Ac-
cording to several sources, under military patronage tattooing
in general received a boost, which indirectly had a favoura-
ble effect on the pilgrim trade. Second, tattooing is common
1 ‘Annually there is a religious festival at Ancona, Italy, and at this it is customary for
visitors to tattoo themselves with pious symbols, while in Bosnia and Herzegovinia, Roman
Catholic girls are in the habit of gathering in churchyards on Sundays, on which occasions
they are tattooed with sacred symbols which they regard with reverence because of the
magical protection afforded ... «En Italie la coutume du tattouage s’est perpetuée par
suite de l’intensité du sentiment pieux. Aux environs de Naples, les Catholiques portent
surtout les images du saint sacrement, du crucifix ou d’une téte de mort. On preéfere le
monogramme du Christ surmonté d’une croix (Cocheris).»’ from W. H. Hambly’s ‘ His-
tory of Tattooing’ (1927) p. 75-6
2 L. Keimer, op. cit., p. 68, makes the interesting observation that classical writers only
note tattooing amongst barbarous or semi-barbarous peoples, and that the Greeks and
Romans seem to have held tattooing in disrepute.
XXII INTRODUGLIGN

among Arabs, predominantly in country communities. Arabs

are tattooed for either decorative or magico-therapeutic rea-
sons. The designs are often complex and cover larger areas
of the body than do the Christian ones but their individual
units such as stars, dots, lines and zig-zags are simple geo-
metric symbols. Christian tattooing probably has its origins
in the peasant practise; a comparative study of the symbols
used in both cases would be extremely interesting. For ins-
tance, in Iraq the cross with equal sides has a strong magic
function and is commonly used by peasants. It is tattooed
on the back of the hand at the base of the fingers, or on
the fingers themselves.’ Coptic, Abyssinian and Syrian pil-
grims use the same cross in the same place, but for them it
has a religious, not magical, function. In the towns, the
character of the tattoos is rather different. Although elabo-
rate pictorial designs are not in keeping with the Islamic
faith - tattooing being expressly forbidden in the Koran°- it
is a fact that definite pictorial symbols are introduced
amongst those Arabs who live in towns.” This may be par-
tially explained as the result of outside influence and ideas.
1 See Winifred Smeaton’s ‘““Tattooing among the Arabs of Iraq’’, American Anthro-
pologist Vol. 39, p. 61
2 ‘The Koran forbids body marking just as the Book of Leviticus forbade the Jews
to cicatrize for the dead, or imprint any marks on their bodies. Nevertheless body
marking is still in favour with Muhammadan pilgrims who have journeyed to Mecca or
Medina. Those who give way to this little weakness for social distinction on the ground
of Religious devotion, excuse themselves by saying that before entering Paradise they
will be purified by fire and all markings removed.’ V. C. Hambly’s ‘History of Tat-
tooing* (1927) , p. 75
3 Figs. 2-5 in the text are taken from a collection of such pictorial tattoo designs made in
Egypt; M. Caloyanni’s ‘Etude des tatouages sur les criminels d’Egypte’, Bulletin de
l'Institut d’Egypte, vol, 5, (1923) p. 115-128.
 INTRODUCTION XXIII

In Beirut and Alexandria there are professional tattooers, who

would be likely to tattoo as many foreigners, such as sailors,
as members of the native population, and who would natu-
rally act as channels for the introduction of new ideas.
There is no one, however, to my knowledge who tattoos
Arabs commercially in Jerusalem.
Tattooing in the east has a long tradition. Unfortuna-
tely, such is the mortality of the flesh that actual examples
of it seldom survive the possessor and generally the history
of tattooing has to be traced through written records. In
Egypt the mummies of two Theban dancers were excavated
dating from the XIth. Dynasty, both bearing traces of geo-
metrical tattooing.’ The Russians, excavating Scythian tombs
in the High Altai, discovered intact burials where the tat-
tooed flesh of one male corpse was still preserved frozen solid
since the fifth century BC; from the drawings and recons-
tructions, apparently the whole body was covered with a
complicated design of animals and monsters linked by
sinuous decoration.” Xenophon’s account of the Mossynoe-
cians, a tribe living close to the Black Sea, mentions tat-
tooing.’ Herodotus describes the Thracians as being tattooed.’
1 see L. Keimer, op. cit., text and plates VI-IX
2 see E. Rudenko’s article in ‘Sovetskaia Etnografia’ (1949) III
3 ©And when the Greeks, as they proceeded, were among the friendly Mossy-
noecians they would exhibit to them the fattened children of the wealthy inhabitants,
who had been nourished on boiled nuts and were soft and white to an extraordinary
degree and pretty nearly equal in length and breadth, with their backs adorned with
many colours and their fore-parts all tattooed with flower-patterns.’ Xenophon; Anabasis
Nianiy
4 Herodotus, V, 6
XXIV TR
O DAW
INS Geer erN

As for the Bible, there are several verses in the Old Testa-
ment forbidding body-marking and by implication tattooing;
and in the Apocalypse, Christ in Glory has‘... on his thigh
a name written.’' It is difficult to determine how early in
the history of Christianity tattooing was first used as a sym-
bol of faith. Keimer says that the cross was incised on con-
verts from the earliest stages of Christianity and that the
Crusaders showed with pride crosses tattooed a little above
their wrists.” The off-hand way in which Henry Maundrell
refers to pilgrims having their arms marked (see above)
suggests that the custom was well established in Jerusalem
by the seventeenth century. A copper-engraving dated 1676
shows the tattooed arms of a German who made the pilgri-
mage from Hamburg to Jerusalem in 1669; there are several
designs on each arm and one of them, the Resurrection,
bears a striking similarity to no. | in the present collection;
of the others, the Bethlehem design with three crowns, a
cross and a star is very like no. 10 and the frame surrounding
the date above the Crucifixion is comparable to no. 68 (fig. 1)°
In Egypt in the early nineteenth century Lane notes that
most of the peasant women were tattooed on the face and
and hands; the Coptic women differed little in the designs
' ‘Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon
you; I am the Lord.’ Leviticus 19, v. 28 (see also Leviticus 21, v. 5, and Deuteronomy 14,
v. 1) ‘And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of Kings and
Lord of Lords.’ Revelation 19, v. 16
2 L. Keimer, op. cit., p. 70-1; unfortunately he gives no reference for his statements
3 ‘Armtatauierung des Hamburger Jerusalempilgers Otto von der Groben aus dem
Jahre, 1669; Nach einem Kupferstich von H. Winterstein, 1676.” My own drawing was
taken from the illustration in L. Keimer’s work, the original not being available to me at
the time of publication.
 INTRODUCTION XXV

they had except that they usually

introduced a cross amongst the sym-
bols. In 1879 Kleinpaul notes that
foreigners in Jerusalem are accosted
in hotels by persons wishing to tat-
too them with the cross and other
designs, claiming the distinction of
having already tattooed the Prussian
Crownprince. '
There are only two definite
dates in the collection of wood blocks.
One is the Armenian inscription for
the year 1749 (no. 68). and the other
is a Resurrection incorporating the
date 1912 (no. 145). Some of the
blocks are extremely worn and would 4
: yee ig. 1 Tattooed arms of 17th.
certainly seem to be of the antiquity century pilgrim from Hamburg.
claimed for them by Razzouk, who asserts they have been in
his family since the seventeenth century. It seems to me not
unreasonable that Henry Maundrell in 1697 and Winifred
Blackman in 1927 saw designs which were similar to those in
the collection, but apart from stating that the blocks may
come from any part of the period within the two dates shown
more accurate dating is impossible; nor can a chronological
dating of style and development be traced since primitive
1 ‘In Jerusalem bieten sich in den Hotels gewohnlich Leute an, den Fremden das
Kreuz von Jerusalem und allerlei andere Figuren schmerzlos in den Arm zu tatowiren-sie
haben es angeblich schon dem preussischen Kronprinzen eingebrannt.’ Kleinpaul. ‘ Die
Dahabiye. Reiseskizzen aus Aegypten’ (1879).
XXVI INTRO DUCsrnOwn

art of this kind shows no appreciable pattern of develop-

ment. In Jerusalem the traditional demand for tattooing
continues and is in no way. diminished. Winifred Smeaton
remarks in her study of Arab tattooing in Iraq that urba-
nization seems to have adversely affected the popularity of
tattooing; this is not the case amongst
the eastern Christians. I have talked to
many educated Armenians and Copts
who unaminously agreed that a pilgri-
mage to Jerusalem should be recorded by
a tattoo.’ I sat recently beside an ele-
gantly dressed young woman in a public
taxi in Beirut, who had a freshly execu-
Fig. 2. Modern Egyptian ted tattoo on her Aforearm dated 1958-
tattoo ;compare with no. 2 R
(after Caloyanni, op. cit.) one of the designs in the collection.
The prints that follow speak for themselves as designs.
Their content, catalogued in the notes, may appear obscure
at first glance; but like a Turkish carpet each design can be
read and appraised once one has accepted certain simple
conventions; for instance, the lozenge shape which repre-
sents the hanging lamp, and so on. The blocks might have
been grouped in a variety of ways but in arranging them I
have followed only the dictates of aesthetic variety since to
1 ‘Armenian Christians who make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem are in the habit of
tattooing themselves with the date of the journey, also their name and initials. The
tattooing is of the nature of a religious marking as it allies the possessor with a sacred
journey for devotional purposes. At the same time there is a tendency to claim social
distinction for an act of religious devotion, and the body mark, though primarily of a
religious character, will tend to degenerate to an honorific social token according to the
egotism of the wearer.” W. H. Hambly, op. cit., p. 75.
 INTRODUCTION XXVII

have imposed one of the possible patterns would lead to

misplaced emphasis and visual monotony. I have, however,
drawn attention to these interconnections in the notes and
cross-references. Stylistically, amongst the one hundred and
eighty-four different designs I have found it hard to decide
which groups are patently by the same hand. Taking the
largest subject group, the Resurrection, of which there are
forty-eight examples, I found twelve different
styles; I give this tentative division below.’
Considering the limitations imposed by the
actual technique on the artists concerned one
is astonished at the varied treatment of the
subject within this group and reminded of
Butler’s remark (speaking of Coptic pain-
ters): ‘The variety of subjects is no less stri-
king than the variety of treatment of the
same subject.” ” The second largest group is 5. .Modern Eeyp-
of equestrian Saints. Mounted figures: occur Han. tata: gn
frequently in eastern church art, as indeed Caloyanni)
in all oriental art. Of these equestrian figures approximately
half can be identified as Saint George: the remainder are
interpretated differently by each church I have shown them
to, as St. Behnam, St. Sarkis, Mar Corios, etc. Next in nu-
merical importance are the representations of St. Veronica,
1 Style 1-1, 141; Style II - 6, 17; Style III - 11, 15, 24a; Style IV -13, 111, 139;
Style V - 14, 108, 108a; Style VI - 33, 41a, 105, I12a, 122a, Style VII - 44, 72, 109, 118;
Style VIII - 39, 82, 107, 107a, 124, 127, 128, 132; Style IX -70, 74, 83, 115, 120,
120a, 145; Style X - 29, 53, 77, 86, 87a, 96, Style XI - 104, 144a; Style XII - 8, 117, 146
2 Butler, “The Ancient Coptic Churches of Egypt” (1884) Vol. 11, p. 91
XXVIII INT RODUCEION

Fig. 4. modern Egyptian tattoo (after Caloyanni) ; compare with nos. 1ga, 31a, 89

which is surprising as she is a Latin Saint with no eastern

counterpart.’ As one would expect there are many versions
of the Jordan baptism. The popularity of this subject with
the Copts may partly derive from their association with the
Nile and its attendant river symbolism; it also emphasises
the importance of pilgrimage to the Jordan itself. Certain
symbols stand out as of particular interest: the curious
broken column in the Annunciation designs, the mermaid
of Nile origin which is a common tattoo motif in Egypt,
1 There is another possible interpretation of this group; I have been unable to substan-
tiate it, so I offer it purely as a surmise: James Zebedee was beheaded by Herodias Agrip-
pa in 44 AD and his head buried under the northern wall of the Armenian Cathedral of
St. James; James, the brother of Christ, was martyred in 60 AD and his body buried in
his house which traditionally stood on the site of the Cathedral. If the two legends have
been confused, the head in these designs could be the head of James Zebedee wrongly
mistaken for James, the brother of Christ; then the female figure would be not St. Vero-
nica, but the Madonna (James’s mother). Then this would be an Armenian design,
not Latin.
 EINERODUCTION XXIX

the dragon which tends to look like a crocodile and the ange-
lic head which bears a marked resemblance to the Egyptian
winged disc. Remarkable too is the frequent use of elaborate
oval frames of many different types and the topographical
references to places in the Holy City, indicative of the im-
portance to certain pilgrims of a particular shrine.
It is a curious fact that Jerusalem contains no master-
pieces of Christian art and architecture, indeed little of any
distinction at all. The modern traveller is more likely to be
inspired by its associations than its monuments. How many
a visitor to the Holy Sepulchre has been disappointed by
the chaotic jumble of dimly-lit chapels, lacking in any focal
point and outside, shocked by the gaudy commercialism and
religious trumpery that fight for attention at every turn.
Yet this is no modern development; Felix Fabri says of his
fellow pilgrims to the Holy Sepulchre in the fifteenth cen-
tury: ‘there was no lack of vain-
glory ... for some had candles
twisted and decorated with gilding
and painting, which they carried
with ostentation and looked with
scorn on those who carried plain
candles’; The same candles are on
sale in little shops around the
Church today. These shops are
crammed with every conceivable
kind of souvenir; traditional olive- Fig. 5. modern Egyptian tattoo
(after Caloyanni) ; compare with
wood and mother of pearl car-__ the equestrian designs.
XXX INTRODUCTION

vings, medallions of gilded incense, silver crosses, carved

bread-pats, handblocked shrouds, rosaries and a plethora of
cheap pictures. Entirely devoid of artistic pretensions, in a
humble way they are a measure of the faith of pilgrims
down the ages. Along with such souvenirs, the tattoo designs
illustrate one of the more charming aspects of the piety of
generations of pilgrims to Jerusalem.

Tabarja, 1958 dea Gs

EE SDE STG NS
THE RESURRECTION

Christ is shown ascending, below right is a building; the design is framed

in an arch of Roman letters. His left arm is outstretched and in His right
hand He holds a standard consisting of along rod with a cross at the top,
to which is attached a pennant with forked ends. There is no attempt at
modelling on the figure and the face is beardless. A ray halo encircles the
head. The building is of two stories, both arcaded, surmounted by a
dome and cross.

The frame is unique in the collection; it is composed of letters which read

#FIXUIAIIXXUA LTXIVIXITXIIAVUIX . There is little apparent order in this
arrangement and the only intelligible word is VUXIT (‘‘he lived’’) which leads
one to suppose that the artist did not understand Latin and was using the letters
decoratively. It has also been suggested that the letters may once have referred
to the fourteen stations of the Cross. The use of letters to form a frame can
also be seen in the cotton shrouds bought by Greek pilgrims, where handblocked
designs of the Resurrection are framed on all sides with texts.
There is on record a very similar design to this, tattooed on the arm of a German
pilgrim in the 17th. century (see Introduction and fig. 1) In this case the frame of
letters reads RESUREXIT PROP... (the rest being unintelligible in the copy avai-
lable to me). The building in both cases is of two stories, each arcaded, surmounted
by a dome and a cross and almost certainly represents the Church of the Holy
Sepulchre. The part directly beneath the figure represents the tomb. These arched
designs were obviously intended to fill the arched space of the upper inside forearm.
see also nos. 86, 141
 HIUI
SeLA
Y7

+
MI
2
G

a
2 A MERMAID

The mermaid has a looped tail and holds a flower in her left hand; her
right hand rests on her waist: she has long curling hair. Modelling is
suggested on the figure. Her tail is covered with scales and has three small
fins on each side of it. She wears a crown; a belt; anda band or necklace
round her neck.

This is apparently a pagan design. In the east, as in northern Europe, the

mermaid is a common myth and appears at different periods. 1 In the Delta
region at present a mermaid called Umm Shusha is said to sit by the river, or
canal, combing her hair. She lures young men into the water and strangles them
with her long hair; occasionally she takes them to her underwater palace, has inter-
course, and rewards them with gold. 2 It is maintained by a Coptic priest 3 that this
design represents || (56 “‘the bride of the Nile”. There is an annual ceremony,
JuJl sles te along the banks of the Nile at the time of its flooding. If the Nile has
not flooded, it is believed that the God of the Nile has forsaken the Egyptians, and
to placate the river a beautiful girl is given as a gift to the God. This is enacted
by throwing a small statue of a girl decorated with flowers and jewels into the
water. 4 Mermaids and fish form one group of designs in a collection of tattoos
copied from Egyptian criminals.5 There may be some connection between the
Christian fish symbol ICHTHOS and this design. In the collection of Armenian
tattoo designs mentioned in the Introduction two similar mermaids are juxta-
posed with two fish. The association of a mermaid and a flower suggests
a composite symbol of fertility. The flower is similar to that carried by the angel
of the Annunciation in no. 137. The five-pointed crown may indicate her super-
natural power; similar crown designs are common in Coptic icons.

1 see S. Baring Gould’s CURIOUS MYTHS OF THE MIDDLE AGES (1897) chap.
XIX; also Robert Graves’s THE WHITE GODDESS, chap. 22

2 unpublished account by Professor John Adams, American University of

Beirut.

3 Said Zakaa Mataa, an Egyptian priest teaching the Coptic language in the
Coptic school in Jerusalem.

4 see Lane’s MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE MODERN EGYPTIANS (1834)

chap. XXVI.

5 see Introduction and fig. 2

THE HOLY LAMB

The Lamb, in profile, has its head turned to the right. Resting
diagonally across its shoulder is a standard with a cross at the top
to which is attached a pennant with forked ends. The base could
conceivably represent a snake.

In the Old Testament a lamb is offered as an expiation for sin. In the New
Testament it symbolises Christ himself, and as such occurs frequently in the Book
of Revelation. The standard with a cross on top is an ancient Christian symbol ;
it appears on Byzantine coins from the fourth century onwards.
See also nos. 30, 36A, 143.
 A CROSS

The cross stands on a triangular base, each of its three arms

terminating in a trefoil.

The design suggests either an altar cross or a hand-cross. Portable hand-crosses

are carried by Coptic bishops and priests and are held in great reverence by the
laity.! This kind of design is tattooed on the inner wrist. (see Foreword and Plate VI).
See also nos. 4, 10, 102, 136, 136 A.

1 see R. Janin’s LES EGLISES ORIENTALES ET LES RITES ORIENTAUX

(1922)
p- 692, for an illustration of an Abyssian Patriarch holding an
almost
identical hand-cross.
AN ANGEL

The head is oval, framed with petal shapes possibly forming a halo; it is
flanked on either side with wings joined by a band of feathers extending
across the chest. Above this band is a suggestion of a vest, or upper part
of a robe.

Note the similarity of this design to the ancient Egyptian symbol of a winged disc.
See Petrie’s ECYPTIAN DECORATIVE ART (1895) p. 108. See also nos. 85, 126, 135
THE RESURRECTION

Christ rises from the open tomb. There are various symbols above and
below the figure and the whole design is contained in an oval frame,
pointed at the top, and composed of twelve heads. Christ is shown with
His right leg crossed behind His left. He holds a standard to which is
attached a pennant with two long tails and bearing a cross. Christ is
bearded, has long hair and a ray halo. He is wearing a short cloak appa-
rently attached to the shoulders and tied in front. Above the figure are a
dove, a lamp (?) and a triangle (the Trinity) to which are attached three
short branches. The twelve heads are each separated from one another by
a symmetrical leaf motif. The base of the design is an elaborate decorative
arrangement of two plants (lilies), four diamonds forming a cross, and
a bow.

The curious stance of Christ, with one leg bent behind the other, occurs in the
majority of the Resurrection designs. The figure is short and stocky; from the
earliest period Coptic treatment of the human figure shows distortion of this kind,
(the reverse of Byzantine stylisation, which tends towards elongation of form). The
twelve heads presumably represent the twelve Disciples.
 THE HEAD OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST (?)

The Saint’s head is shown full-face within a heart shaped frame, which
is surmounted by a crown and cross. This is supported by two winged
angels flanked by stars. Each angel stands on a spiral motif from which
hangs a lamp. Between the angels there is a triangle subdivided into three
parts, its apex bearing a star from which springs a double barred cross.
Below the angels is a segmental design ; its base is flat with squares inside
the corners. Above this is part of a rising sun and below are three swinging
censers.

The head of the Saint appears to be on a platter, or possibly inside an urn. The sun
motif occurs also in nos. 33A, 37, 38A, 41, 42, 84, 87, 97, 112, 122, 139A, which
are all depictions of St. Veronica and the Veil. This suggests this may not be the
head of St. John the Baptist, but of Christ. On the other hand, this may be an
Armenian design showing the head of St. James, traditionally believed to be buried
under the Cathedral of St. James in Jerusalem. The rising sun is frequently used
as a symbol for Christ in Greek hymns.! The rising sun is used as an illustration of
the Trinity in the Coptic Catechism.2
See also nos. 32, 36, 40, 103, 125.

1 “Votre naissance, O Christ notre Dieu, a fait paraitre au monde la lumiére

de la connaissance : par elle, en effet, ceux qui adoraient les astres, apprirent
d’un astre 4 vous adorer, vous le Soleil dela Justice, et A vous connaitre
comme |’Orient venu d’en haut. Seigneur, gloire a vous.”
- from the Christmas Apolitykion, for December 2 5th, LITURGIE GREQUE

2 “.., the sun ... affords a wonderful example of the mystery of the Trinity ...
having disc, rays, heat. Although the disc is the cause, and both heat and rays
effects of it, yet the three are equal in existence, for the disc cannot exist sepa-
rately from the rays and the heat, but the three exist at the same time and in
an equal degree.”
-from A COPTIC CATECHISM (1892) by Abouna Filothaus, translated
by the Rev. R. R. Bromage ; p. 21.
THE RESURRECTION

Christ rises from the tomb. He is depicted with His left leg bent at the
knee, behind His right leg. The right arm is raised and in the left hand
He holds a standard, consisting of a cross to which is attached a pennant
with two long tails. He is bearded and has a ray halo; the drapery is
crossed once in front of the figure and flows out to the left. On either side,
below the figure of Christ, are two winged angels; the angel on the
left points down to the tomb, whilst the angel on the right points up to
the figure of Christ. The tomb is shown end on. The whole design is framed
in a series of interlacing scrolls. It is surmounted by a Church and across.
At the bottom is a decorative motif combining two branches, two swinging
censers and three leaves.

The church symbol appears in this position in forty of the designs ; it varies in
individual examples, but it usually shows an arcade surmounted by a dome. It
is probably the Rotunda of the church of the Holy Sepulchre.
9 A SAINT WITH A CHILD ON A HORSE

The Saint rides a horse; the reins are in his right hand and a child is
mounted behind him. He is bearded, wears Turkish-style trousers and
holds a sceptre (?) in his left hand. Both Saint and child have ray halos.
The child wears a simple tunic. The horse has a double fringed mane and
a flowing tail; it carries a bordered saddle-blanket and a star on its har-
ness by the shoulder.

This design occurs nine times in the collection; nos. 9, 16, 62, 63, 66, 106A, 110,
116 and 130. It occurs three times in direct conjunction with a design showing
St. George killing the dragon, where the two different designs were cut on opposite
sides of the same block; nos. 63-63A, 66-66A, 106-106A. In five of the designs the
Saint carries a sceptre-like object, but in the remaining four it is replaced by a
long spear surmounted by a cross. In all cases the Saint is dressed in a different
way from St. George, who wears the usual stylisation of a Roman soldier’s uni-
form. It has been suggested that this is St. George with the rescued princess; but
this does not seem possible in light of the different treatment of the figure. The
Coptic interpretation of the design is that it represents Mar Corios; a soldier born
in Shoud bil Hamra at the time of King Dacladianos. He was challenged by his
captain who learned that he had been converted to Christianity, and he replied
that he did not believe ‘in Roman things’. He was martyred defending his faith
The child is his servant (¢s\+) also martyred with him.1 There are many Coptic
icons showing equestrian Saints, with a small figure riding behind the Saint.2 The
Armenians interpret this design as representing St. Sarkis. 3 The Syrian Orthodox
interpretation, which I find personally the most convincing in detail, is that it
represents St. Behnam and Saro Hotheh, the martyred children of King Sargon of
Iraq.4 There is a painting of St. Behnam in the chapel adjacent to the Syrian
church in Jerusalem showing the Saint and his sister in a similar manner to the
tattoo designs.

1 asrelated by Said Zakaa Mataa.

2 see Mulock and Langdons’s THE ICONS OF YUHANNA AND IBRAHIM THE
SCRIBE (1946)
3 see Appendix A
4 see Appendix B
10 A CROSS, THREE GROWNS AND A STAR

The cross has a bar at the end of each arm and there is a small cross of
similar design in each of its quarters. Above, are three crowns; and above
the centre crown a star with its lowest point extended downwards. The
lower part of the design is framed by two branches joined with a bow.

This design is probably symbolic of pilgrimage to Bethlehem, the three crowns

representing the three Wise Men, with the star of Bethlehem.
see also no. 102
“i
2. t
1] THE RESURRECTION

Christ rises from the empty tomb. His right leg is crossed behind His left.
He is bearded and has a ray type halo. His right arm is raised and in His
left hand He holds a standard consisting of a long cross and a forked
pennant. The lower part of the design is framed with two branches of
leaves.
12 ST. GEORGE AND THE DRAGON

St. George, mounted on a horse, is in the act of spearing the dragon. He

wears a stylised version of Roman soldier’s uniform, tunica, cingulum,
and a short cloak; he has a disc halo. He holds a long spear in his right
hand and the horse’s reins in his left. The horse is in a prancing position;
it has a double fringed mane, a long flowing tail and various trappings
including a saddle-blanket. The dragon is directly under the horse and
the tip of the spear is entering its mouth. Its snout is curled back, it has
five teeth and the back of its head is crested. The paw-like legs are clawed;
it has a wing, a spear-shaped tail curled round once completely, and its
body is covered with scales.

How St. George rescued the Princess from the dragon is recorded in detail by
Voragine; it is substantially an early medieval legend, although it knits together
sacred myths from earlier periods.1 It is not the purpose of the present work to
examine the origins of the St. George legend, but is is worth mentioning two of
the Egyptian sources. There is a post-Pharaonic limestone carving in the Louvre
which shows Horus, the hawk-headed God, dressed as a Roman soldier and in the
act of spearing Seth, the God of evil, symbolised by a crocodile. This is perhaps the
earliest form of the story. As Cambrol says “‘.. . analogies entrelecombat d’Horus,
etle combat de Saint Georges ne sont pas fortuites. Cette fable étrangement
deformée et transformée se rattache a une localisation géographique evidente’’.2
Later, in the Graeco-Roman period, Gnostic amulets showing a cavalier saint
spearing a woman, a snake or a dragon are common.3 In the final form of the
legend (exemplified by the tattoo design) St. George is a Roman soldier, his saint-
liness indicated by a halo, mounted on a horse and spearing a dragon. Whatever
embroidery the story may have acquired during its evolution, these symbols persist.
Essentially it is the struggle between Good and Evil; the former shown as a soldier
saint and the latter in the guise of a dragon. As for the dragon, its similarity to
the Nile crocodile is very apparent; its head with a curled snout, reminiscent of
of Celtic monsters, can also be seen in the animal heads that decorate the croziers
of Coptic and other Eastern church dignitaries.4 St. George is one of several eques-
trian Coptic Saints, and St. George tattoo designs are popular with pilgrims of all
the churches.
See also nos. 12, 45, 47A, 63A, 66A, ro1, 106. 119, 138, 142.

1 see S. Bari - Gould’s

ng CURIOUS MYTHS OF THE MIDDLE ACES (18
Chap. XIII. Bate
2 see Cambrol’s DICTIONNAIRE CHRETIEN Pp. 1027
3 see E. R. Goodenough’s JEWISH SYMBOLS IN THE GRAECO-ROMAN PERIOD
(1953) vol. II, Part 4
4 see R. Janin’s LES EGLISES ORIENTALES ET LES RITES ORTENTAUX
(1922) p. 89, for a Greek crozier; for an Abyssinian example see PLATES
I THE RESURRECTION

Christ rises from the empty tomb ; His left arm is raised and his right
holds a stand ard consisting a long cross with two streamers attached. He
is bearded, there is an indication of modelling on the figure and He has a
ray halo. Above the figure of Christ is a dove, pointing downwards, within
a semi-circle of rays, below and on either side of which are stars. The
design culminates in a church surmounted by a cross, with the sun on the
left and the moon on the right. Below the figure of Christ is the tomb,
three courses high; on either side are angels, one pointing to the tomb
and one up towards Christ. From the base of the design springs an arch
of alternate leaves and circles, joining the church at the top. On the
right side a branch springs inwards from this frame towards the figure of
Christ.

The use of symbols such as the sun, moon and stars in Resurrection designs tallies
with the description of the Day of Judgement from the Sermon on the Mount:
‘, , . the Sun shall be darkened and the Moon shall not give her light and the
stars shall fall from heaven.” - Matthew 24, v. 29.
14 THE RESURRECTION

Christ rises from the tomb. His left leg is crossed behind His right and
His left arm is raised ;He carries a standard in His right hand consisting
of a cross with two streamers attached to it. He wearsa divided loin-cloth;
part of a cloak shows to the right of the figure. The lower part ofthe
design is filled with the empty tomb; the upper part is surmounted by a
church. The whole is framed with two branches ofleaves joined decora-
tively at the base.

lia THE ANNUNCIATION

On the right the Virgin Mary stands with head bowed; on the left an
Angel offers her a lily. The Virgin wears a tunic-like garment under a
long robe; the angel wears a similar tunic with a cloak. above the figures
are rays and a dove pointing downwards. The lower part of the design is
framed with two sorts of leaves joined decoratively by a scroll motif.
Between the Virgin and the Angel is a symbol resembling a broken
column.

The broken column symbol appears in nos. 28, 34, 57, 91, all Annunciation designs.
In a Latin legend, the angels came and carried away Joseph’s house from Nazar-
eth to Loretto in Italy, leaving a single pillar behind, A Coptic legend 1 says that
on the occasion of the Annunciation one of the columns in the house broke for joy.
Annunciation designs are popular as tattoos with virgin girls.

1 Said Zakaa Mataa

Is THE RESURRECTION

Christ rises from the empty tomb; His right leg crossed behind His left,
His right arm is raised and in the left He holds a long cross. The halo is
composed of dots. A simple loin cloth is indicated.
oa
16 A SAINT WITH A CHILD ON A HORSE

The Saint is on horseback, the reins in his right hand and a child
mounted behind him. He is bearded, wears Turkish-style trousers and
holds a sceptre (?) in his left hand. He has a ray halo, whereas the child
has a disc halo. The horse is in a walking position. It has a double fringed
mane and flowing tail; its trappings include a fringed saddle blanket.

see notes to no. g.

17 THE RESURRECTION

Christ rises from the empty tomb, His left leg crossed behind his right.
His right arm is raised and in His left He carries a standard consisting of
a cross with streamers hanging from it. He is bearded, hasa ray halo, and
wears flowing drapery with a cloak. Below the figure are two angels; the
angel on the left points to Christ, the angel on the right to the empty
tomb. The design is framed with two branches of leaves, joined at the
base to a shell-like medallion.

The empty medallion is probably intended to contain the date of the pilgrimage.
18 ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST (?)

The figure is seated, holding a long cross in his right hand. His left arm
falls diagonally across his body. The figure is modelled, he has curly hair
and a ray halo, and drapery falls loosely from the shoulders and across
the body. On the left is an animal.

The figure is rounded and naturalistically treated ; the composition is more sophis-.
ticated than most of the other designs. Possibly it may have been copied from an
outside source.
see also no. 113
19 ELIJAH CASTING DOWN HIS CLOAK TO ELISHA

Elijah sits in a two-wheeled chariot, pulled by a pair of horses and driven

by an angel. Elisha looks up with outstretched arms to receive the mantle
which is falling towards him. Elijah has a ray-type halo, a beard, long
hair, and wears a belted robe. Elisha appears not to havea halo; on either
side of him is a tree.

The Old Testament incident is described in 2 KINGS II v. 2, .., and there

appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire.’? Elisha stands on the bank of the
Jordan, indicated in the design by the trees. The same trees are used in designs
showing the Baptism of Christ in the Jordan. There is a painting of Flijah and
Elisha in the chapel of St. Behnam, in the Syrian church in Jerusalem.

19a A. LION

The lion faces right; it has a long flowing mane, a chequered coat and an
‘S’ shaped tail.

Lions occur in the Old Testament : for instance they are mentio
ned as decorative
motifs on King Solomon’s throne. In the New Testament, a lion
Revelation 5, v. 5, ‘‘... behold the Lion of the Tribe of Juda.” is mentioned in
It is also the emblem
of St. Mark, traditionally the founder of the Coptic Church in
solitude, it is sometimes used in pictures of hermit Saints. A Egypt. Symbolising
being shown this design “the lion is a strong beast and king of Copt remarked on
all the animals, as
the eagle is king of the birds, therefore it must represent the power
self’? see of Christ him-
also nos. 31 A, 89
20 THE NATIVITY

On the left is the Virgin Mary and on the right Joseph, both kneeling
and praying. They have ray halos and wear robes, the Virgin’s with a
mantle. The Infant Christ is between the two figures, with His head to
the left. Above Him are the heads of two animals, a star and a triangle
(the Trinity). The lower part of the design is framed by two branches of
leaves, each terminating in a three-leaved flower, and joined to the base
to a decorative arrangement of scroll and leaf shapes.

see also nos. 40A, 80, 95

21 THE LAST SUPPER

Christ, with six disciples on either side of Him, is seated at a rectangular

table covered with a cloth. He has a ray halo. Above the design is a
decorative canopy.
ae THE ARCHANGEL MICHAEL FIGHTING THE DEVIL

The Archangel has long hair, a ray halo, and wings. He holds a sword in
his left hand and a club in his right. He is dressed in a loose shirt with
a square collar and short sleeves, and a skirt with a toothed pattern
round the waist. His right foot rests on the Devil’s. head. He is about
to plunge his sword into the winged Devil, who is in a crouching position.

In the New Testament, the Book of Jude, v.g, relates how Michael the Archangel
contended with the Devil; Revelation 11, v.7, tells how Michael and his Angels
fought against the dragon (the Devil ).
see also nos. 92, 101A.
25 AN ANGEL OF THE APOCALYPSE

The winged angel with a ray halo wears a pleated tunic, belted at the
waist, and pointed boots. He holds a pair of scales in his right hand, a
sword in his left, and stands on the earth (?) The design, which includes
two stars and the crescent moon, is enclosed in an oval frame.

This is the Angel of Judgement referred to in Apocalyptical literature. The book

of Revelation 10, v. 1-10, tells of the angel standing with the right foot on the
earth and the left foot on the sea. The sword is of similar shape to that shown in
no. 67.
24 ST. DIMIAN

St. Dimian wears a robe with a skirt bearing a pattern of vertical stripes
and chevrons. Her head is covered by a mantle which falls behind the
figure and a crown with four points surmounted by a cross; there is an
indication ofa halo. She carries a palm branch in her right hand and a
long cross in her left.

St. Dimian is a fourth century Coptic Saint, whose feast is celebrated in early
June. She was the daughter of a pagan chieftain in the Waddy Sa Saban. Her
father worshipped animals, but she was converted to Christianity. He built her a
paradise away from her people in the Wadi Sa Saban, where she lived with forty
maidens, ‘The people, however, were angry and demanded that she should return to
paganism. She refused. She was whipped, with the forty maidens, and eventually
killed wearing a crown on her head.! She is sometimes depicted with her forty
maidens around her. 2 She is also a Syrian Orthodox Saint. Her skirt is interesting
as similar patterns are to be found on the tub, or dress, worn by village women in
upper Egypt (particularly associated with fertility rites).3

1 Said Zakaa Mataa

2 I have seen such an illustration in a Coptic reading-book
3 see plate in W. Blackman’s FELLAHIN OF UPPER EGYPT

Dasa THE RESURRECTION

Christ rises from the empty tomb. He has a disc halo and wears a loin-
cloth. His right arm is raised and in His left He holds a standard consisting
ofa cross and a forked pennant. On either side is a star; the whole is framed
by two branches ofleaves tied at the base with a loose bow and surmoun-
ted by a pediment and a cross.
2) A BISHOP

The Bishop has a pointed beard; his mitre is decorated with a circle and
surmounted by a cross; a hood falls from it behind the figure. His cha-
suble is crossed in front and bears four large crosses. His right hand, raised
in benediction, shows his thumb and two fingers bent. In his left hand he
carries a crozier. He stands on a base of tongue and leaf patterns.

The Copts, Syrians, Latins, Greek and Anglicans say this is an Armenian bishop;
the Armenians themselves are not sure, because the fingers should show only one
finger and the thumb bent. This may be simply because the block was badly cut, as
no. 50 shows the correct number, although the combination is wrong. Armenian
bishops carry croziers of both Byzantine and Latin design.1
see also nos. 50, 73, 95A.

I se€ paintings in the porch of the Cathedral of St. James, Jerusalem.

26 THE MADONNA AND CHILD

The Madonna wears flowing robes, with a double neck band; her right
hand points towards the child, held in the crook of her left arm. Her
five-pointed crown has a decorated band. The infant carries an orb in
his right hand and wears a three-pointed crown.

see also nos. 35, 52, 76, 98, 121, 124A, 19

21 A DOUBLE - HEADED EAGLE

Two heads spring from the body on separate necks. A crown with five
curving points is balanced between the crests of the heads. The wings are
outspread. The eagle holds an orb in its right claw and a sword (?) in its
left. Two branches bearing fruit frame the lower part of the design and
are tied at the base by ribbons with forked ends.

The double-headed eagle is usually associated with Byzantine art, as an Imperial

symbol. In Jerusalem at the ordination of Greek Orthodox Patriarchs, the Patri-
arch elect stands on a representation of a double-headed eagle for the vesting
ceremony. Armenian Bishops at their ordination stand on a carpet with an eagle
design.
28 THE ANNUNCIATION

The Virgin Mary stands with hands clasped and head bowed, wearing a
long robe and a mantle over her head. The angel, his right leg crossed
behind the left, points to the Virgin with his left hand and to the descen-
ding dove with his right. Both the Virgin and the angel have ray halos.
Between them is the broken column symbol found also in nos. 14A, 34,
57, 91. The lower part of the design is framed with two branches of leaves,
each terminating in a flower with three pétals. At the base they are joined
with the same flower reversed.

see no. 14A.

28a TWO BIRDS IN A TREE

Two birds stand at the base of a tree which has five branches, pointe
d
leaves and fruit.

The birds resemble pigeons. In a Coptic marriage custom,

enclosed in hollow sugar balls, which are then whirled around two live pigeons are
giddy. After a brief interval the balls are smashed. If the to make the birds
this is a good omen ; if they are still dazed and refuse to
birds fly off immediately,
move, a bad omen.1

1 see Lane’s MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE MODERN EGYPTIANS, chap.

on the Copts.
sip.

Y
29 THE RESURRECTION

Christ rises out of the tomb, His left leg bent behind the right. His right
arm is raised and in His left He holds a standard consisting ofa cross and
a forked pennant. He is bearded, has a dotted halo and wears flowing
drapery that hangs diagonally from His left shoulder. On either side of
the figure of Christ there is an angel, with legs crossed and hands
clasped in front. Six stars surround the figure of Christ, and above His
head a dove points downwards, within a semi-circle of rays. The whole of
the central part of the design is framed in two branches of leaves, joined
at the base in an elaborate scroll motif, and at the top by a crown of
unusual shape and decoration surmounted by a cross, with the sun to the
left and the moon to the right. Above is a seven-pointed tiara supported
by two more angels surmounted by another cross and flanked by four
stars.

The Syrians have a legend relating that the Prophet Samuel recognised the young
king David because when he saw the boy walking towards him, there were two
angels holding a crown above his head and clapping for joy.
30 THE HOLY LAMB

The Lamb proceeds to the left, with its head turned to the right. Diago-
nally across the design is a standard terminating in a cross from which
hangs a pennant with a forked tail bearing a cross. The lower half of the
design is framed with two leafy branches, crossing at the base.

see no. 3

30a THE ANNUNCIATION

A fragment. Showing in this part of the design are the head and hand of
the angel, the bowed head of the virgin, a tree(?) a star and a curious
symbol presumably representing the Holy Spirit. The remaining section
of the frame indicates that more than half the block is missing.
3) MARY MAGDALENE AT THE TOMB

Mary Magdalene stands, hands clasped, before the body of Christ. She
wears a striped skirt, bands round her wrist and neck, and a crown with
five points; a ray halo is indicated. She is flanked by two figures with disc
halos, the one to her left carrying a long cross. Below them the body of
Christ lies on a decorated bier with hands clasped. Christ has a disc halo,
and wears a loin cloth. The whole design is framed with a repeating
pattern of overlapping leaves tied with a bow at the bottom and joined at
the top to a church, from which hangs two lamps.

The figures can be identified as Mary Magdalene, Joseph and the other Mary
from Matthew 27, v. 61, and Mark 15, v. 47. The lamps suggest the scene takes
place in the tomb ; the slab Christ lies on is probably the annointing stone, the
subject of two separate designs in the collection, nos. 46 and 81

Bea TWO LIONS

The lions face each other, their front paws raised. Each has oval eyes,
short ears, a long mane, a chequered coat and legs and an ‘S’ shaped
tailed curled above the body.

see no. 19A; also no. 89.

 eec

Yee )a) n

Ye TA
~

<
of
LL“

Waveney, WY

ay
TG ie
oe. THE HEAD OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST

The Saint’s head is depicted full-face, tilted on its side. It is bearded and
has long curling hair parted in the middle. Above, a dove points down-
wards and the design terminates in a cross; below it is framed with two
leafy branches.

see no. 7
33 THE RESURRECTION

Christ rises from the empty tomb, His left leg crossed behind His right
and both arms raised. He is bearded and has a ray halo. In His right
hand he carries a standard consisting of a cross with long streamers
attached to it. The figure is flanked by two angels; the one on the left
points to Christ, the one on the right to the empty tomb. Both have wings
and halos and their legs crossed in the characteristic stance. Above the
figure of Christ is a dove. The whole design is framed in a pattern of
double waving lines, with leaves attached (a vine?) and surmounted by a
church with the moon on the left and the sun on the right. At the base is
a bow.

33a ST. VERONICA AND THE VEIL

The Saint is depicted with hands together, wearing a mantle surmounted

by a three-pointed crown and a cross. The veil shows the bearded head
of Christ full face, tilted on its side; it is supported by two winged angels
with legs crossed. Christ, St. Veronica and the angels all have ray halos.
Six lamps hang above the Saint. The design has a similar frame to no. 33,
including the bow, the church, the sun and the moon. At the base of the
frame is a motif resembling the rising sun.

St. Veronica was a pious woman of Jerusalem who gave Christ

her kerchief so
that He could wipe the sweat from his brow whilst carrying the
Cross. When He
returned it, it had the image of His face miraculously imprinted on
it. The legend
in its present form is medieval; it is based on stories dating from
as the fourth century. It is only found in the Latin church. The
at least as early
Syrians also have
a legend about a miraculous veil, involving a king who lived
in Mesapotamia at
the time of Christ. All the St. Veronica designs in this collecti
on include the three-
pointed crown. All except one, no. 140, show the sun and the moon, with
sun motif at the bottom of the design. See note on the rising sun, the rising
sce also nos. no. 7.
37, 38A, 41A, 42A, 84, 87,97, 112, 122, 139A, 140.
34 THE ANNUNCIATION

The Virgin Mary is on the right, wearing a long mantle and a three-
pointed crown, with a faintly indicated halo. Above her is a star. The
winged angel holds out a lily in his left hand and has his legs crossed;
he has a ray halo. Above, a dove descends in a semi-circle of rays. Between
the figures is the broken column symbol, mentioned in no. 14a. The
design is framed by an oval line with leaves attached, surmounted by a
church. The decorative base includes two swinging censers and three
leaves.
3) THE MADONNA AND CHILD

The Madonna wears flowing robes and a mantle with a double neck
band. Her right hand points to the child, held in the crook of her left
arm. She wears a crown with five points springing from a decorated band.
The Infant Jesus holds an orb in His left hand, His right raised in bene-
diction. His crown has three points. Both the Virgin and Jesus have disc
halos. The lower part of the design is framed in a semi-circle.

see no. 26
36 THE HEAD OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST

The head is full face, on its side; it has a beard, a moustache and hair
parted in the middle. Above it is a dove, pointing downwards, with five
rays emitting from its head. On either side are seraphs consisting of a
round head and wings. The lower part of the design is framed by two
leafy branches, joined to a flask-like object at the base.

see. no. 7

36a THE HOLY LAMB

The Lamb proceeds to the left, with its head turned right; its front
legs
are bent and its rear quarters are distorted and show the unnatu
rally
large tail characteristic of sheep in the middle east. A standard
consisting
of a cross and part of a flag divides the design diagonally.
Above the
Lamb is the rough outline of a dove.

unfinished design, probably never used. See no. 3

314) ST. VERONICA AND THE VEIL j

St. Veronica is depicted with her hands clasped, wearing a mantle. Two
winged angels with their legs crossed support the veil bearing the head of
Christ. The head is bearded, full face on its side. Christ, St. Veronica and
the angel all have ray halos. St. Veronica wears a crown with three points.
Six lamps hang above the Saint and a dove descends in a semi-circle of
rays. The rising sun motif occurs below the veil. The whole design is
framed with a loose garland, consisting of twelve branches, ten stars, and
ten crescents, surmounted by a church and a cross. At the base the design
includes a cross made from five small circles, two triangles with double
borders and three petals.

see no. 33A

38 CHRIST TIED TO A COLUMN

Christ is shown to the left of the column, tied by His wrists. He is bearded
and has a dot halo. A bird perches on the top of the column; at its base
are the usual instruments of the Passion, a spear, a scourge, a sponge and
a ladder. A seraph, consisting of ahead and wings is‘to the left of Christ’s
head. The lower part of the design is framed by two leafy branches tied
together with a loose bow.

see also nos. 58, 88

38a ST. VERONICA AND THE VEIL

St. Veronica is depicted with hands clasped, wearing a crown and a

mantle and surrounded by rays. The veil, supported by two winged
angels with legs crossed, shows the bearded head of Christ, full face on its
side. Christ and the angels have ray halos. Six lamps hang above the
Saint. The rising sun motif occurs below the veil. The whole design is
enclosed in a pointed oval, with twelve irregularly shaped leaves attached
to it; it is surmounted by a church and a cross; at the base the design
terminates in two swinging censers, a circle and three petals.

see no. 33A

39 THE RESURRECTION

Christ rises from the tomb, with His left leg crossed behind the right, and
both arms raised to waist level. He is depicted bearded, with a disc halo,
and wearing a loin cloth. His left hand holds a standard bearing a
pennant with two tails; to left of the figure is an eight-pointed star. The
design is framed in a pattern of contiguous scrolls which meet at the top
in an orb. At the base, a pair of scroll motifs have straight tails which are
crossed and joined toa three-pointed leaf.
40 THE HEAD OF ST. JOHN THE, BAPTIST

The bearded head with long hair is depicted in profile, on its back.
Immediately above it a dove descends in a semi-circle of rays. Below are
two crossed branches ofleaves.

see no. 7

40a THE NATIVITY

The Infant Christ lies in swaddling clothes; to the left, the kneeling
Virgin wears a long robe and mantle; Joseph kneels by the child’s head
on the right. He also wears a long robe; both have their hands crossed in
front of them. All three have disc halos. Between the figures are the heads
of two animals; above isa star, and a triangle (the Trinity ). The whole
design is framed with two branches ofleaves tied together at the
bottom
and meeting at the top in a church surmounted by a cross.

scé€ no. 20
41 ST. VERONICA AND THE VEIL

St. Veronica wears a mantle and a three-pointed crown. The veil, sup-
ported by two winged angels with legs crossed, shows the bearded head
of Christ full-face, tilted on its side. Christ, St. Veronica and the angels
have ray halos. Above the group are seven hanging lamps; below, the
rising sun motif. The oval frame is composed of twelve flowers and four-
teen arched shapes; at the top it joins a church surmounted by a cross,
on either side of which are faintly indicated the sun and moon. At the
base are two swinging censers, five crescents and various other motifs.

see no. 33A

Ala THE RESURRECTION

Christ rises from the tomb. His left leg is crossed behind His right; both
arms are raised, and in His left hand He carries a standard with two tails.
He is bearded and wears a loin-cloth. Above the figure are five hanging
lamps ;below His right hand is a star. Below, on either side is a winged
angel, with legs crossed;the angel on the left points to the empty tomb,
the angel on the right towards Christ. Christ and the angels have ray
halos. The frame is similar in design to no. 40, except the positions of the
sun and the moon are reversed.
42 ST. VERONICA AND THE VEIL

St. Veronica, with arms outstretched, displays the veil; she wears a
mantle and a three-pointed crown surrounded by rays. The veil shows
the bearded head of Christ, full-face tilted on its side ;He has a ray halo.
Below, is the rising sun motif. The oval frame of three-pointed leaves is
joined at the top to a church with a pediment, and at the base to a disc,
two swinging censers, a diamond and five petals.

see no. 33A

43 A CHURCH

The church has an arcaded facade surmounted by three towers. The

outer towers consist of an arch containing a hanging lamp; lamps also
hang from the three arches below. The central tower, higher than the
others, springs from a pitched roof and has a double arch. All three
towers are surmounted by pediments and crosses. The base of the design
is a line of dog-tooth decoration.

Possibly this design is a symbolic interpretation of the Trinity. It is not immed-

lately identifiable as any particular Church in Jerusalem. A Copt said it is St.
Mark’s Church in Cairo; if so, its use in Jerusalem is odd.
see no. 51
a4 THE RESURRECTION

Christ rises from the empty tomb. His right leg is crossed behind His left;
both arms are raised, and is His left hand He holds a standard consisting
of a long cross and a forked pennant. Christ is bearded, wears aloin-
cloth and has a dotted halo. The-figure is slightly modelled. The oval
frame is flanked by seven stars on either side, and surmounted by a
church with a pediment and a cross. At the base of the design are four
curling leaves, from which hangs a cross with a bar at the end of each
arm and a star in the middle.
45 THE EDICULE

This design is easily recognisable as the Tomb in the Rotunda of the

Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Christ is shown rising from the middle of
the Tomb, carrying a long cross in His left hand.

The Tomb, the central monument of the Church, was given its present form
1810. Architecturally it is a reflection of Turkish taste of the period.
in

45a ST. GEORGE AND THE DRAGON

St. George, mounted on a horse, is in the act of spearing

the dragon. He
wears a pleated skirt and a short cloak; he hasa
disc halo. He holds a
long spear surmounted by a cross in his right hand, and
the horse’s reins
in his left. The horse has a mané, flowing tail
and various trappings
including a double bordered saddle-blanket and
a ring on its right shoul-
der. The dragon is directly beneath the horse
and the tip of the spear is
entering its mouth. The back of its head is crested
; its winged body, with
legs set closely together, tapers off into an arrow-shap
ed tail.

see no. 12
46 THE ANNOINTING STONE

The annointing stone is seen from above; it has rounded ends and rests
on a low stand. It is surmounted by a cross, and two scroll motifs are
attached to its upper corners. Three tall candles stand on either side of
the stone. The base of the design is a line of dog-tooth decoration. The
upper part of the design consists of a line of diamonds, from which are
suspended five crosses and six lamps.

The annointing stone where, traditionally, the body of Christ was layed, is just
inside the main door of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
see no. 81
YO
-f Oy
47 A CHAPEL

The chapel has three tiers, surmounted by a dome and astar. The lowest
appears to be an arched shrine flanked on either side by hanging lamps;
it has a projecting cornice, from the corners of which hang two more
lamps and on which stand two candles. The middle tier has five arches ;
the top tier is plain, also having a projecting cornice from which hang
three small lamps. The base of the design has a deckled edge, with three
sets of rays.

The design resembles the Chapel of St. James the Less, in the Armeni
in Jerusalem. See Plate 4, in G. Antreassian’s booklet on the Cathedr an Cathedral
by the Armenian Convent Printing Press, Jerusalem (1956). al, published

47a ST. GEORGE AND THE DRAGON

St. George, mounted on a horse, is in the act of spearing

the dragon. He
wears a pleated skirt and a short cloak ; he has a ray
halo. He holds a long
spear surmounted bya cross in both hands, and the
horse’s reins in the
crook of his left arm. The horse has a mane, a flowi
ng tail, and various
trappings including a double bordered saddle-blanket
and astar hanging
from its neck. The dragon is directly under the
horse and the tip of the
spear is entering its mouth. The back of its head
is crested ; its winged
body, with two legs, tapers off into an arrow-shap
ed tail.

see no. 12
48 THE CRUCIFIXION

Christ, on the Cross, is flanked by two figures. His figure is slightly mo-
delled, and He wears a loin-cloth knotted on the left side. He has a
crown (?) and a ray halo. The semi-kneeling figures wear long robes; the
one on the left has one arm up and one down, the one on the right has
both arms crossed in front. Both have ray halos. Above Christ, a banner
is fixed to the Cross; at the base of the Cross is a skull and crossed bones.

The figures on either side of the Cross are John and Mary ; the skull is Adam’s
skull, traditionally buried on Golgotha.
see also nos. 55, 56A, 60, 78, 79, 123
49 A SHRINE

The shrine has two tiers surmounted by a pointed dome and across. Each
tier consists of two posts and a lintel, with a triangular pediment between
them. The lower tier is larger than the upper one. On either side are
pointed domes, each surmounted by across. The base of the design, which
contains a star, is composed of two curling leaf shapes, with irregular
inside edges. The central dome has a sign within it.

The star suggests this design is a stylised representation of the Chapel of the
Nativity in Bethlehem. It might be also the Chapel of St. James the Less (see no.
47) The sign resembles the first letter of the Syriac alphabet, reversed and side-
ways.
see nos. 54, 129
SO A BISHOP

The Bishop has a pointed beard; his mitre is decorated with a circle and
surmounted by a cross; a hood falls from it behind the figure. His chasuble
is crossed in front and bears four large crosses. His right hand, raised in
benediction, shows the thumb and third finger bent. In his left hand he
holds a crozier. He stands on a base of tongue and leaf patterns. The
design has an oval frame.

see no. 25
5] A CHURCH

The church has an arcaded facade surmounted by three towers. The

outer towers consist of an arch containing a hanging lamp; lamps also
hang from the three arches below. The central tower, higher than the
others, springs from a pitched roof and has a double arch also containing
smaller lamps. All three towers are surmounted by pediments and crosses.
The base of the design is a line of dog tooth decoration.

see no. 43
2 THE MADONNA AND CHILD

The Virgin Mary holds the Child in the crook of her right arm. She
wears a robe and a mantle, with a crown on her head and astar fixed to
her left shoulder. Christ is dressed in a long robe and has a crown sur-
mounted by a cross; He reaches out with his left hand towards the star.

see no. 26

DAR THE DOME OF THE ROCK

On the left is the Mosque of ‘Omar; in thecentre, a minaret;

and on the
right an arcaded building with a pitched roof behind which
is a cypress
tree. In front of the buildings is a paved courtyard,
with an arcade;
below, there is an inscription.

The inscription, in Hebrew, reads 55977 (Jerusalem).

the design would be significant as this is the site of the For a Hebrew pilgrim,
Wall runs along the south side of the area.
Templ e ; also the Wailing
ays, THE RESURRECTION

Christ rises from the empty tomb; His right leg is crossed behind His left.
The right arm is raised ; in His left He holds a standard consisting of a
long cross to which is attached a pennant with three tails. Bearded, He
has a ray halo and wears a flowing cloak. Below the figure, on either side
of the tomb, is a winged angel. The angel on the left points to the tomb;
the angel on the right to Christ. The lower half of the design is framed
with two branches of leaves, each terminating in a three-leaved flower,
and joined at the base to a decorative arrangement of scrolls and leaves,
including a triangle and a flower with six petals.
54 A SHRINE

The shrine has two tiers. The upper is surmounted by a triangular roof
and a cross and flanked, as is the lower, by similarly roofed turrets each
surmounted by a cross. The upper tier incorporates an arch, whilst the
lower has a suggestion of a pitched roof and contains a star. The base of
the design consists of two scrolls joined to three leaves and linked by a
fourth to the star.

see no. 49
» THE CRUCIFIXION

Christ on the cross is flanked by two figures. He is bearded, has long hair
and a disc halo. His figure is slightly modelled. The other figures wear
long robes and mantles and have their hands clasped in front; both have
disc halos. At the top of the cross is a banner INRI; at the base, Adam’s
skull. The design is contained in an oval frame consisting of two branches
of leaves and flowers, surmounted by a church from which hangs a lamp.
The church is arcaded and has a pointed roof bearing a cross. The
branches arejoined decoratively at the base with ribbons.

see no. 48

S5a THE PRESENTATION OF CHRIST IN THE TEMPLE

Simeon carries the Infant Christ on a stole ; the Child has His head
to the
left, and has a disc halo. Simeon is bearded, wears a surplice,
a phylac-
tery (?) round his neck and a mitre. The figure is framed by two
wavy
branches of flowers and leaves supporting a church, the dome
of which
bears a cross. The branches are tied together decoratively
at the base.

see Luke 2, v. 25-35

56 THE ANNUNCIATION

On the right the Virgin Mary kneels at a prie-dieu with head bowed and
hands crossed. On the left the winged angel kneels on a cloud (?) and
offers her a lily. Both figures wear long robes; the Virgin also has a mantle.
At the top of the design is a dove, within a semi-circle of rays. The figures
are contained in an oval frame consisting of two leafy branches joined at
the top to a domed church.

see no. 14A

56a THE CRUCIFIXION

Christ on the Cross; He is bearded, has a disc halo and

wears a loin-cloth
knotted on the right side. The figure is slightly modelled.
At the top of
the Cross is a banner.

see no. 48
ay/ THE ANNUNCIATION

The Virgin Mary kneels on the right with hands clasped. On the left floats
a winged angel, holding a three pointed lily in the left hand. The Virgin
wears a robe with a round neck and tied at the waist ; the angel wears a
tunic, the lower part of which is pleated. Both have ray halos. The floor
is tiled, and between the figures is the broken column symbol mentioned
in no. 14a. The lower part ofthe design is framed with a line and two
branches joined to a disc, two swinging censers and a three-pointed leaf.

see no. 14A

58 CHRIST TIED TO A COLUMN

Christ is shown to the left of the column, tied by His wrists, ankles and
upper left arm. He is bearded and has a dot halo. A cock perches on the
top of the column; at the base are the instruments ofthe Passion, a scourge,
a sponge, a ladder and aspear. Below are two leafy branches tied together.
On either side of Christ is a winged angel with a dot halo. The design is
framed in an oval.

see no. 38
aN, THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST

St. John stands above and to the left of Christ ;he baptises Him
with his
left hand, holding a standard consisting of a long cross and a forked
pen-
nant in his right hand. Both figures are bearded and have
ray halos. St.
John wears a ragged loin-cloth. Christ wears a pleated tunic,
and has His
hands clasped ;above His head isa dove within a band
of dots and to
the right the River Jordan is indicated by a single branch
with a spear-
shaped flower. The lower part of the design is framed
by a curved line
and two branches joined to a disc, two swinging censer
s and a three-
pointed leaf.
This design occurs frequently in the collection ; this
is some indication of the po-
pularity of pilgrimage to the Jordan as well as to
Jerusalem.
see also nos. 61, 79A, 93, 94, 94A, 134, 134A, 144
60 THE CRUCIFIXION

Christ on the Cross is flanked by two figures. He wears a crown of thorns

and a loin-cloth knotted on the left side; the figure is slightly modelled.
On either side, the figures wear long robes and mantles; the one on the
left points to Christ, the one on the right has hands crossed in front. Two
winged angels are fixing a banner to the top of the Cross, and above them
is a dove, with the sun and the moon aud eleven stars. At the foot of the
Cross is Adam’s skull and crossed bones, resting on a scroll design, on
either side of which is an hour-glass and a short branch. The whole de-
sign is contained in an oval frame of thirty stars.

see no. 48
 EX
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6] THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST

Christ stands in the Jordan, St. John on the bank to the right. Christ
wears a loin-cloth, tied on the left side ; His hands are clasped. St. John,
in the act of baptising Christ with his right hand, wears a ragged tunic
and carries in his left hand a standard consisting of a long cross with a
forked pennant. Both figures are bearded and have ray halos. Above
them is a dove within a semi-circle of rays. To the left of Christ isa branch
terminating in a three-leaved flower. The oval frame has ten three-pointed
leaves attached to it on either side, and is joined at the top to a church
surmounted by a cross and flanked with scrolls bearing leaves. At the base
is a decorative arrangement of two leaves, two spear-shaped flowers, a
cross composed of four diamonds and an elaborate bow.

see no. 59
62 A SAINT WITH A CHILD ON A HORSE

The Saint is on horseback, the reins in his left hand and a child mounted
behind him. He holds a sceptre (?) in his right hand. Both figures have
ray halos. The horse is in a walking position ; it has a long tail reaching to
the ground.

see. no. g
63 A SAINT WITH A CHILD ON A HORSE

The Saint is on horseback, with a child mounted behind him. He is

wearing Turkish-style trousers and holds a long spear surmounted by a
cross in his left hand, and the reins in the right. Both figures have ray
halos. The horse is in a prancing position; it has a mane and flowing tail
and a bordered saddle-blanket.

In this design, as in nos. 110, 116 and 130, the Saint carries a spear instead of the
sceptre-like object in other illustrations of the same sub ject.
see no. g

63a ST. GEORGE AND THE DRAGON

St. George, mounted on a horse, is in the act of spearing the dragon. He

wears a short cloak and Turkish-style trousers; he has a ray halo. In his
right hand he holds a long spear surmounted by a cross, and in his left the
reins. The prancing horse has a mane, a flowing tail and a bordere
d
saddle-blanket. The dragon is directly under the horse and the tip
of the
spear is entering its mouth. It has a curled snout and the back of its
head
is crested ; it has a wing, two legs set closely together and its body
tapers
off into a spear-shaped tail, looped once.

The Turkish-style trousers are unusual for St. George; possibl

y he has been confused
with the Saint carved on the other side of this block (see no. 63 above)
see no. 12
64 “FLOWER POT” DESIGN

Five flower-pots, each containing an eight-pointed star shaped flower

with a dot in the centre, stand on a flat base, beneath which is a double
zig-zag design interspersed with dots.

This design seems to be secular; I have seen similar designs tattooed as a band of
decoration round the outer wrist on both Moslems and Christians. Its function
may be therapeutic (see Introduction)
see nos. 45, 100
65 “FLOWER POT” DESIGN

Three flower-pots, each containing a six-pointed star shaped flower sur-

rounded by dots, stand on a flat base. Above and below the base are
dog-tooth ornaments.

see no. 64
66 A SAINT WITH A CHILD ON A HORSE

The Saint is on horseback, with a child mounted behind him. He carries

a sceptre (?) in his left hand. Neither the Saint nor the child have features,
but both have ray halos. The prancing horse has a large round eye and a
flowing tail.

see no. g

66a ST. GEORGE AND THE DRAGON

St. George, mounted on a horse, spears the dragon with his right hand.
He wears a short cloak; his face is featureless but he has a ray halo. The
prancing horse has a large round eye and a flowing tail. The dragon has
a large head with a curling snout and a short body with two legs. The
spear pierces through the dragon’s head.

sce no. 12
67 A SWORD

The sword has a curved blade and a scroll-shaped hilt.

A sword is a common Biblical symbol for the word of God. It is an equally

common Islamic symbol. I have frequently seen swords tattooed on the backs of
the hands of both Moslems and Christians,
68 AN INSCRIPTION

The inscription, in Armenian, is contained in a rectangular frame with

pointed ends, surmounted by two flowers and a cross.

It reads (YhG hal .The prefix p& (written asa monogram) indicates that this
is a date. The date is written in letters, and transliterated reads 1198. This date in
the Armenian calendar is converted by the addition of 551 years, giving a final
date of 1749 A.D.
(ht
69 AN INSCRIPTION

The inscription is in Slav, and reads “Jerusalem”. This design was pre-
sumably used for Russians pilgrims.
LEPY CAA NID
70 THE RESURRECTION

Christ rises from the empty tomb. He wears a loin-cloth and a cloak is
suggested. His right arm is raised and in His left hand He holds a standard
consisting of a long cross with a forked pennant. The lower part of the
design is framed by two branches of leaves, crossed at the base.
71 THE MADONNA

The Madonna is dressed in a long robe with a mantle; her head is bowed.
13 THE RESURRECTION

Christ rises from the empty tomb; His right arm is raised, in His left hand
He holds a standard consisting of a long cross with a forked pennant. He
is bearded and has a ray halo; His right leg is crossed behind His left.
There are three large stars around the figure, which is framed with an
uneven oval line, joined at the top toachurch surmounted by a cross, and
at the base to a bow. Flanking the church are the sun and moon and
surrounding the design are sixteen stars.
73 A BISHOP

The bearded Bishop wears a mitre and a long surplice. His right hand is
raised in benediction, his left holds a crozier. He stands on an irregular
base, similar to the one beneath the Holy Lamb in no. 3.

see no. 25
74 THE RESURRECTION

Christ rises from the empty tomb, His left leg crossed behind His right;
His left hand is raised and in His right He carries a standard consisting of
a long cross with a pennant. Christ is bearded and hasa ray halo; He wears
a loin-cloth and a cloak. The design is framed with an oval line; outside
this are two wavy branches meeting at the top ina domed church with a
cross and at the base in a bow.
13 CHRIST IN THE TOMB (?)

Christ is lying in a rectangular tomb (?). He is bearded and has long hair.
He wears a loin-cloth. A band passes across the figure at the waist.

Another possibility is that this represents Christ tied to a column (see nos. 38, 58)
76 THE MADONNA AND CHILD

The Madonna wears robes and on her head a mantle surmounted by a

three-pointed crown. The Infant Christ is seated on her lap to the right ;
His left arm is raised in benediction.

see no. 26
oa THE RESURRECTION

Christ rises from the empty tomb; His left leg is crossed behind His right.
His right arm is raised, and in His left hand He carries a standard consis-
ting of a long cross with a forked pennant attached. He is bearded, hasa
ray halo, and drapery arranged diagonally across the body. To the left of
His head is the sun, and to the right, the moon; there are three stars round
the figure. The lower part of the design is framed by two leafy branches,
flanked on either side by five stars, and joined at the base to a scroll
motif.
78 THE CRUCIFIXION

Christ on the Cross; the figure is disproportionately small for the size of
the Cross, whilst the head is too large. A banner is indicated above the
figure, fixed to the Cross. At the base, a mark may be taken to represent
Adam’s skull.

A similar sketchy indication of the banner and the skull may be seen in no. 56A.
see no. 48
79 THE CRUCIFIXION

Christ on the Cross; He is bearded and has a disc halo. He wears a che-
quered loin-cloth. At the top of the Cross is affixed a banner; at the base
is Adam’s skull and crossed bones. The figure is framed by an oval line,
joined at the top to a domed church surmounted by a cross, and at the
base by two swinging censers and leaves (?).

see no. 48

719a THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST

Christ stands on the left with hands clasped, slightly below the figure
of
St. John. He wears a loin-cloth tied on the left side. St. John wears
a
ragged loin-cloth and carries in his left hand a standard consist
ing of a
long cross with a forked pennant. He baptises Christ with his right
hand.
Both figures are bearded and have ray halos. To the left of
Christ is a
branch, representing the Jordan. Above His head is a dove. The
figures
are framed by an oval line, flanked by two wavy branches of flowers
and
leaves, and joined at the base to two swinging censers, a triangl
e and three
crosses (?). At the top is a domed church surmounted by a cross.

see no. 59
80 THEONATIVADY,

The Virgin kneels on the right and Joseph on the left. Both wear long
robes and mantles. Above is a star; below, between the figures is a faint
indication of the Infant Christ. The lower part of the design is framed
with two leafy branches, each terminating in a five-petalled flower and
joined at the base to a five-pointed leaf.

see no. 20
81 THE ANNOINTING STONE

The annointing stone is rectangular and has a low surrounding wall.

Behind it stands four candlesticks; in front and on either side are two
larger candlesticks. The upper part of the design consists of an arch of
contiguous scrolls, from which hang seven lamps of varying sizes.

see no. 46
82 THE RESURRECTION

Christ is depicted with His left leg crossed behind His right; both arms
are raised and in His left hand He holdsa long cross with a forked pennant.
His head is disproportionately large; the features and a ray halo are slightly
indicated. The oval frame is composed of two branches of leaves, joined
to a domé surmounted by a cross at the top, and tied together at the base.
83 THE RESURRECTION

Christ rises from the empty tomb, His right leg crossed behind His left;
His right arm is raised and in His left He holds a standard consisting of a
long cross with a forked pennant. He is bearded, has a dotted halo and
wears a loin-cloth. The figure is slightly modelled and is framed in an oval,
flanked on either side by eight stars. At the top of the design is a large
crown surmounted by a cross; to the left is the moon and a star; to the
right a triangle (the Trinity). The base of the design consists of an angel
with its wings folded back, supporting the oval.
84 ST. VERONICA AND THE VEIL

The Saint is depicted with hands together, wearing a mantle surmounted

bya three-pointed crown and a cross. The veil shows the bearded head of
Christ full face, tilted on its side; this is supported by two winged angels
with legs crossed. Christ, St. Veronica and the angels all have ray halos.
Six lamps hang above the Saint ;below is the rising sun motif. The figures
are framed by a wavy line, to which are attached eight branches each
with three leaves. At the top isa domed church surmounted by a cross,
with the moon on the left and the sun on the right;at the base is a disc
to
which are attached two swinging censers and three spear-shaped leaves
tipped with crosses.

see no. 33 A
85 AN ANGEL

The oval head is framed by both disc and ray halos and rests on wings
with double serrated edges which spread out on either side. Between the
wings hangs a pendant (?) with three rays.

see no. 5
86 THE RESURRECTION

The design is roughly rectangular. The central part depicts Christ rising
from the tomb. His right leg is crossed behind His left and His right arm
raised ; in His left hand He carries a standard consisting of a cross with
two pennants attached to it. He is bearded and has a dotted halo. To the
left and below the figure of Christ is the tomb, which consists of four
columns supporting a lintel, surmounted by a tower with a pointed dome
and a cross; it rests on a flat base, to the right of which stand three candle-
sticks and a winged angel with legs crossed and dotted halo, who points
at both Christ and the tomb. The frame of interlacing scrolls and leaves
is joined to two four-leaved branches which arch over the design and
support a pointed dome; below this is a dove within a semi-circle of rays
and a star. The upper part of the design consists of two winged angels
with legs crossed, who support a five-pointed crown. The lower part of
the design depicts two winged angels with legs crossed, touching a spear
shape flanked with scrolls and surmounted by the sun.

for similar concepts of the Resurrection, see nos. 1, 141

87 ST. VERONICA AND THE VEIL

In a square design St. Veronica is depicted, her hands clasped, wearing a

long robe and a three-pointed crown. Two winged angels with long legs
hold the veil, showing the bearded head of Christ full face on its side. On
either side of the Saint’s head are placed respectively the sun and moon;
also there are hanging lamps. A row of nine stars enclose the design on
either side, while the rising sun motif forms its base.

see no. 33 A

SJa THE RESURRECTION

Christ rises from the empty tomb, His left leg crossed behind His right
and His right arm raised. In His left hand He carries a standard consisting
of a long cross with four streamers attached. Bearded, with a ray halo, He
wears a loin-cloth and a cloak. He is flanked by winged angels with long
legs;the one on the left points to Christ, the one on the right to the empty
tomb. Round the figures are six stars, while two rows of nine stars form
borders on either side.

Both this design and no. 87 show a slight curving inwards at the
top, suggesting
that originally they may have been arched.
np He FAL RIES
88 A PILLAR AND A COCK

The pillar, standing on a flat base formed by three slabs, is composed of

decorative units. The first bears a cross; the second, which resembles a
bunch of grapes, is surmounted by the capital. Between the units are tied
a pair of crossed scourges. A cock stands on top.

This design probably alludes to the Flagellation and to the cock that crew thrice.
89 A LION

The lion proceeds to the right with its left foreleg. It has a spotted body
and an ‘S’ shaped tail curled above the body.

seeno. 19 A
90 THE ANNUNCIATION

On the right the Virgin Mary kneels at a prie-dieu, her right hand on her
heart ;she wears a long robe and a mantle and has a ray halo. On the left
the winged angel rests on a cloud (?). One of his feet touches the ground,
his right arm is raised and in the left he holds a lily which consists of a
stem and three three-leaved flowers. Above, the dove descends within a
semi-circle of rays.

The angel’s hair is similar to that of the angel in no. 5. See no. 14 A
9] THE ANNUNCIATION

The Virgin Mary kneels on the left ; she wears a long robe and a mantle.
Higher and to the right, the angel proffers a lily with the right hand ; his
left arm is raised. Above is the dove. Below, between the figures stands
the broken column symbol mentioned in no. 14a, in this case incorpo-
rating a triangle. The lower part of the design has a frame of two leafy
branches, each terminating in a five-petalled flower, and joined at the
base to five leaves.

The general style of the design is similar to no. 80. See no.
14A
o2 THE ARCHANGEL MICHAEL FIGHTING THE DEVIL

The winged Archangel is dressed in a tunic with a ‘V’ shaped neck and
a pleated skirt; he carries a sword and a shield decorated with spoke
pattern, and is in the act of impailing the Devil on a long spear held in
his left hand. He stands with one foot on the Devil’s body. The Devil has
a round head, a large round body, two arms, two legs and two curious
forked tails. The tip of the spear emerges below the Devil’s head.

see no. 22
25 THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST

Christ stands with arms crossed in front; He is bearded, has long hair
and wears a loin-cloth. To the left, St. John baptises Christ with his left
hand, holding in his right a long cross with a tail attached ; he is bearded,
has long hair and wears a tunic. Both figures have ray halos ;Above them
is a dove, emitting three rays, and to the right are two winged angels. The
pointed oval frame is composed of two branches of leaves and flowers. At
the top is the bearded figure of God, arms raised, with a triangle behind
his head; on either side are winged angels and above a semi-circle of
rays. At the base of the design is a disc, to which are joined two swinging
censers and crossed ribbons.

see no. 59
94 THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST

Christ stands in the Jordan, which is indicated by a tall branch. His hands
are crossed in front of His loin-cloth, which is knotted on the right side. On
His left is St. John; in his right hand he holds a standard with a forked
pennant, and in his left he holds a cup above Christ’s head. St. John is
bearded and wears a cloak; both figures have dotted halos. Above them
is a dove within a semi-circle of rays. The design is framed by an oval
line outside of which are two leafy branches joined together at the base.

see no. 59

94a THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST

Christ stands in the middle of the Jordan, indicated by water and a tree
on the right, St. John stands on a rock to the left, holding a long cross
with a pennant in his right hand and baptising Christ with the left. Above
is a dove. The design is enclosed in an oval.

unfinished design, probably never used; very badly cut.

25 ELEN AA VY

The Infant Christ, wrapped in swaddling clothes, lies between two robed
figures. All three figures have ray halos. Above is a star with a dot in the
centre, extending downwards towards Christ. The design is contained in
an oval, outside of which are a series of interlacing scrolls. The base is
flat, with looped decoration on the under side.

see no. 20

95a A BISHOP

The Bishop has a divided beard ; his mitre is decorated with a cross
and
surmounted by a cross; behind his head is a double disc (?). His left arm
is raised and in his right he holds a crozier of spiral design. His
surplice is
belted and a diamond hangs from the waist on his left side;
he wears a
chasuble,the ends of which are tied and fall in front of the figure.
Outside
the oval frame are a series ofinterlacing scrolls, joined to a flat
base with
looped decoration on the under side. |

An Armenian Bishop; see R. Janin’s LES EGLISES

ORIENTALES ET LES RITES
ORIENTAUX, p. 431, for an illustration. See no. 25
96 THE RESURRECTION

Christ stands on the open tomb, His right leg behind His left and His left
arm raised. In His right hand He holds a standard consisting of along cross
with a forked pennant. He is bearded and hasa ray halo; He wears a
loin-cloth and a cloak diagonally across the figure . Below the tomb isa
skull and crossed bones. Around the figure are seven stars and above a
seven-pointed crown decorated with dots supported by two winged angels
with ray halos. On top is a dove, with a star on either side. The design is
framed by two leafy branches and joined at the top to a cross flanked
with stars, the sun and moon; at the base it is joined to a scroll design.
The outer frame consists of twenty-one stars.
OE ST. VERONICA AND THE VEIL

The Saint is depicted with hands together, a mantle and a three-pointed

crown; she is flanked by leafy branches. The veil shows the bearded head
of Christ, full face on its side; it is supported by two winged angels with
legs crossed. Christ and St. Veronica both have ray halos. Above the Saint
hang five lamps, and below is the rising sun motif. The pointed oval
frame consists of a stem bearing alternate pairs of leaves and six-petalled
flowers. At the top it joins a church with a decorated dome surmounted
by a cross, with the sun to the left and the moon to the right; at the base
it is joined to a bow and various leaves.

see no. 33 A
98 THE MADONNA AND CHILD (?)

Two figures wearing flowing robes are seated side by side. Both figures
have crowns suspended above their heads. The smaller figure on the
left also has a disc halo; there is possibly a child sitting on her lap (?)

The feminine nature of both figures suggest they may be identified as St. Anne (or
St. Elisabeth) and the Virgin, possibly with the Infant Christ.
see no. 26
99 ABRAHAM SACRIFICING ISAAC

The bearded Abraham waits knife in hand. Below to the left stands Isaac,
bound, beside a bush.Both figures have ray halos. Above the bush are a
ram and the angel of the Lord. The design is framed by an irregular oval
and two entwined branches of leaves and tendrils, joined at the base by
a bow. At the top isa domed church surmounted by a cross, with the
sun to the left and the moon to the right.
100 “FLOWER POT” DESIGN

Five flower-pots stand on a base decorated with a running scroll design,

with a serrated edge beneath. The central flower has eight pointed
leaves interspersed with dots; the flowers on either side have six petals
each.

see no. 64
C
10] ST. GEORGE AND THE DRAGON

St. George, mounted on a horse, is in the act of spearing the dragon. He

wears a short cloak; in his right hand he holds a long spear surmounted
by, a cross and in his left the reins. The dragon is directly under the pran-
cing horse ;two wings, four legs and a spear-shaped tail are indicated.

see no, 12

10la THE ARCHANGEL MICHAEL FIGHTING THE DEVIL

The winged Archangel stands above the Devil; he has a disc halo, both
arms are raised and in his left hand he holds a sword. The Devil is shown
with broken wings (?) lying on its side.

sce no. 22
102 A CROSS

The cross, with equal arms, has a smaller cross in each of its quarters. It
is surrounded by two leafy branches, crossed at the base and joined at the
top to three crowns surmounted by a star. The word ‘* Jerusalem ”’ is
written bélow.

This conventional medallion design is frequently seen in Jerusalem. It is one of

the commonest Bethlehem mother-of -pearl designs.
see no. 4
 ls
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alice.
103 THE HEAD OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST

The bearded head is depicted full face, tilted on its side, Below it is a
chalice (?) from the centre of which spring four leafy branches, two of
which arejoined at the base.

see nos 7
104 THE RESURRECTION

Christ stands on the empty tomb, right arm raised and holding a standard
consisting ofa cross and a pennant in His left hand. He has a disc halo
and wears a cloak and a loin-cloth. On either side of Him kneel winged
angels. The design is framed by two leafy branches, crossed at the base
and supporting a domed church at the top.

Unfinished design, probably never used. The more sophisticated composition and
treatment of the figure suggest it was a later addition to the collection.
1 05 THE RESURRECTION

Broken. The lower half shows Christ rising from the empty tomb, flanked
by winged angels. The design is framed by wavy branches ofthree-pointed
leaves, joined at the base to leaves and two swinging censers.
106 ST. GEORGE AND THE DRAGON

St. George, mounted on a horse, spears the dragon. He has a dotted halo
and wears a stylised version of Roman soldier’s uniform with a short
cloak. He holds a long spear surmounted by a cross in his right hand
and the reins in the left. The prancing horse has a fringed mane, a
long flowing tail and various trappings including a bordered saddle-
blanket. The spear pierces right through the dragon’s head. The winged
dragon has scales, a crested head, fins (?) and a spear-shaped tail.
A cruder and smaller version of no. 12

106a A SAINT WITH A CHILD ON A HORSE

The Saint is on horseback, the reins in his right hand and achild mounted
behind him. He carries a sceptre (?) in his left hand. Both figures have
dotted halos. The horse is in a prancing position and has a fringed mane
and a flowing tail.

see no. g
l 07 THE RESURRECTION

Christ is shown with His right leg crossed behind His left, both arms
raised and holding a long cross with a tail attached in His left hand.

107 a THE RESURRECTION

Similar to no. 107, reversed; Christ is shown with His left leg crossed
behind His right, both arms raised and holding a long cross with a forked
pennant attached in His right hand.
108 THE RESURRECTION

Christ is shown with his right leg crossed behind His left and both arms
raised to waist level. In His left hand He holds a long cross with a forked
pennant. He has a dot halo and wears a curious loin-cloth with
a dot (the navel?) in the centre, knotted on the left side. Below the
figure are six lozenge shapes, the lowest two leaning sideways. The oval
frame of leaves supports a crown (?) two crescents and a cross; at the
base it joins a decorative motif.

108a THE RESURRECTION

Similar to no. 108, reversed. Christ is shown with His left leg crossed
behind His right and both arms raised; in His right hand He carries a
cross with a forked pennant. He has a dot halo and wears a curious
loin-cloth with a dot (?) in the centre, knotted on the right side.
Below the figure are six lozenge shapes, the lowest two leaning sideways.
The pointed oval frame supports a crown (?) two crescents and a Cross ;
at the base it joins a decorative motif. Outside the frame are sixteen stars.
109 THE RESURRECTION

Christ stands on the empty tomb, His left leg crossed behind His right;
both arms are raised and in His left hand He holds a long cross with a
forked pennant. Bearded, He hasa ray halo and modelling is indicated
on the figure. He wearsa pleated loin-cloth, and flowing drapery over His
left shoulder. The open lid of the tomb has a cross marked on it. The
figure is framed by a band of twelve stars. At the top is a cross.
110 A SAINT WITH A CHILD ON A HORSE

The Saint is on horseback, with a child mounted behind him; he holds a

long spear in his left hand and the reins in his right. He has a ray halo;
his costume is indeterminate. The prancing horse has a flowing tail and
various trappings including a star on its harness by the shoulder and a
bordered saddle blanket

see no. 9
11] THE RESURRECTION

Christ rises from the empty tomb, His left leg is crossed behind His right
and both arms raised; in His right hand he holds a cross with a forked
pennant. He is bearded, has a ray halo and wears a loin-cloth ; the figure
is slightly modelled. He is flanked by winged angels, the one on the left
pointing to Him and the one on the right to the open tomb. Above the
figure is a dove within a band of rays. The design is framed by two wavy
branches, each having five stems of three-pointed leaves, joined at the
base to a disc, ribbons, leaves and diamonds. At the top isa domed church
surmounted by a cross, with the moon to the left and the sun to the right.
kes ST. VERONICA AND THE VEIL

The Saint is depicted with hauds together, wearing a cloak and a three-
pointed crown. The veil shows the bearded head of Christ full face tilted
on its side ; it is supported by two winged angels with legs crossed. Christ,
St. Veronica and the angels all have ray halos. To the left of the Saint’s
head is the moon and a star, and to the right the sun; above are five
hanging lamps. At the base is the rising sun motif. The oval frame is
composed of twelve three-pointed flowers and fourteen arched shapes; at
the top it joins a domed church surmounted by a cross, with a serrated
arch and a flower to either side. At the base are two swinging censers, five
crescents and other motifs including three balls decorated with crosses.
see no. 33 A

oa THE RESURRECTION

Christ rises from the empty tomb, His left leg crossed in front of His right
and His left arm raised; in His right hand He holds a cross, to the stem of
which is attached a pennant with two tails. To His right is a star; above
are five hanging lamps. Christ is bearded and wears a loin-cloth and a
cloak ;He has a ray halo. He is flanked by two winged angels with legs
crossed, the one on the left pointing to the open tomb and the one on the
right to Christ. The frame is similar to no. 112, except the serrated arch
is replaced to the left of the cross by the sun and to the right by the moon
and a star; also, at the base the three balls are replaced by three petalled
shapes.
113 ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST (?)

The figure stands holding a long cross in his right hand; his left hand
rests on the head of an animal. His face is featureless; he has a disc halo
and wears a ragged garment patterned with dots.

see no. 18
] 14 AN ANGEL

The winged angel wears a long robe fastening in front and belted at the
waist. His legs are crossed and he points downwards and upwards with
his left and right hand respectively.

see nos. 131, 131A, 138A

l 15 THE RESURRECTION

Christ stands with His left leg crossed behind His right and His left arm
raised ;in His right He holds a long cross with a pennant. He is bearded,
has long hair and a ray halo; He wears a loin-cloth.
116 A SAINT WITH A CHILD ON A HORSE

The Saint on horseback holds the reins in his right hand and has a child
mounted behind him. He carries a long spear surmounted by a cross in
his left hand. He wears Turkish-style trousers; both figures have ray
halos. The prancing horse has a flowing tail and various trappings inclu-
ding a bordered saddle-blanket.

see no. 9
fale? THE RESURRECTION

Christ rises from the open tomb, His right leg crossed behind His left and
His left arm raised. In His right hand He holds a standard consisting of a
long cross to which is attached a forked pennant. He is bearded and has
a dot halo; the figure is slightly modelled ;He wears a loin-cloth. Below
His left hand are two stars. The design is framed by a pointed oval to
which are attached eight stems, each bearing four leaves. At the top is a
domed church surmounted by a cross; at the base, two swinging censers
and three leaves joined to a disc.
118 THE RESURRECTION

Christ rises from the open tomb, His right leg crossed behind His left and
both arms raised ; in His left hand He carries a cross with a pennant. The
oval frame is joined at the top of the design to a domed church (?) and a
cross ;at the base, to two swinging censers and leaves. Outside the frame
are twelve stars.
Lat ST. GEORGE AND THE DRAGON

St. George, mounted on a horse, isin the act of spearing the dragon;
he holds the reins in his left hand, and in his right a long spear
surmounted by a cross. He has a ray halo, and wears a flowing cloak and
Turkish-style trousers. The prancing horse, directly above the dragon,
has a flowing tail and a bordered saddle-blanket. The winged dragon has
its mouth open; it has a curled snout and the back of its head is crested ;
it has two legs and its body tapers off into a spear-shaped tail, looped once.
see no. 12
120 THE RESURRECTION

Christ rises from the open tomb, His left leg crossed behind His right and
His right arm raised ; in His left hand He carries a standard consisting of
a long cross and a pennant. The features and slight modelling are indi-
cated ;He wears a loin-cloth knotted on the left side. The lower part of
the design consists of two curving branches of leaves tied at the base,
framing a minute representation of the tomb.

120a THE RESURRECTION

Christ rises from the open tomb, His left leg crossed behind His right and
His right arm raised ; in His left hand He carries a standard consisting of
a long cross and a forked pennant. The features and slight modelling are
indicated ;He wears a loin-cloth knotted on the left side. The lower part
of the design consists of two curving branches of leaves tied at the base
with a bow (?) framing the tomb.

A larger version of no. 120

PA] | THE MADONNA AND CHILD

The Madonna and Child both wear three-pointed crowns. They are
featureless. The lower part of the design is framed by two leafy branches,
joined to a disc and three pointed leaves.

see no. 26
Lee ST. VERONICA AND THE VEIL

The Saint is depicted with hands crossed in front, one higher than the
other, wearing a mantle surmounted by a three-pointed crown and sur-
rounded by rays. The veil shows the bearded head of Christ full face
tilted on its side; it is supported by two winged angels with legs crossed.
Christ and the angels have ray halos. Four lamps hang above the Saint,
with one on either side. Below is the rising sun motif. The design is framed
by two wavy branches of three-pointed leaves joined at the top toa
pointed dome surmounted by a cross, with the moon to the left and the
sun to the right. At the base are two swinging censers and other motifs
attached to a disc.

see no. 33A

Wea THE RESURRECTION

Christ rises from the empty tomb, His right leg crossed behind His left
and His right arm raised; in His left hand He carries a cross with a forked
pennant. He is bearded and the figure is slightly modelled; He wears
a
loin-cloth and a cloak. Below are two winged angels with legs crossed, the
angel on the left pointing to Christ and the angel on the right to
the
tomb; between them isa star. All three figures have ray halos. Below
Christ’s right hand is a star. The design is framed by two wavy
branches
of three-pointed leaves joined at the top toa pointed dome surmoun
ted
by a cross, with the moon to the left and the sun to the right. At the
basé
are two swinging censers and other motifs attached to a disc.
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1238 THE CRUCIFIXION

Christ on the Cross, with Adam’s skull below. Two leafy branches, joined
to two scrolls and a leaf, frame the lower part of the design.

see no. 48

1254 THE RESURRECTION

Christ rises from the tomb, His left leg crossed behind His right and His
left arm raised ; He holds a standard in His right hand. He has a ray halo
The oval design is framed by two leafy branches joined at the top to a
crown (?) and at the base to a three-pointed leaf.
124 THE RESURRECTION

Christ stands with His left leg crossed behind His right and His left arm
raised; in His right hand He holdsa standard. He hasa ray halo and wears
a loin-cloth. From the flat base hang four stars (?)

124a THE MADONNA AND CHILD

The Madonna wears a long robe and a mantle; the Infant Christ sits in
the crook of her left arm. Both figures are crowned.

see no. 26
125 THE HEAD OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST

The bearded head is depicted full face, on its side. Below it is a chalice
(?)
framed by two leafy branches joined to a flask (?)

see no. 7
126 AN ANGEL

The oval head, naturalistic is treatment with well-proportioned features

and curly hair, rests on outspread wings. The angel has a disc halo.
no. see 5
(a THE RESURRECTION

Christ rises from the tomb, His right leg crossed behind His left and His
right arm raised ; in His left hand He carries a cross with a forked pen-
nant. He is featureless ; there is an indication of a ray halo.
128 THE RESURRECTION

Christ rises from the tomb, His left leg crossed behind His right and His
left arm raised ; in His right hand He carries a cross with a forked pen-
nant. He is featureless. He wears a loin-cloth. The pointed oval frame
incorporates eight stars and is surmounted by an orb (?) and a cross; at
the base it joins a bow and a three-leaved flower, reversed.
129 A SHRINE

The shrine has two tiers surmounted by a pediment and a cross. The
lower tier consists of two posts and a lintel with a triangular pediment
between them ; the upper tier of an arch, with a dome surmounted bya
cross on either side.

see no. 49
130 A SAINT WITH A CHILD ON A HORSE

The Saint, on horseback, has the reins in his left hand and a child mounted
behind him. In his right hand he holds a long spear surmounted by a
cross. He wears Turkish-style trousers; both figures have ray halos. The
prancing horse has various trappings includinga bordered saddle-blanket
and a star on its harness by the shoulder.

see no. 9
l3 l AN ANGEL

The winged angel has its right leg crossed behind its left and points
upwards with its left hand.

see no. 114.

131 a AN ANGEL

The reverse of no. 131; the winged angel has its left leg crossed behind its
right and points upwards with its right hand.

see no. 114

132 THE RESURRECTION

Christ rises from the tomb, His left leg crossed behind His right and His left
arm raised; in His right hand He holds a standard. He is flanked by two
pairs of leaves. The pointed oval frame is surmounted by a crown (?) and
a cross and is joined at the base to two scrolls.
133 THE MADONNA AND CHILD

The Madonna, wearing a four-pointed crown, holds the Infant Christ in

the crook of her right arm and in her left hand a sceptre (?) Christ wears
a three-pointed crown and holds an orb in His right hand. The lower
part of the design is framed by a curved line.

see no. 26
134 THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST

St. John stands to the left of Christ, baptising Him with his left hand; he
holds a standard, consisting of a long cross and a forked pennant, diago-
nally across his body. Both figures are bearded, have dotted halos and
wear long cloaks. The dove descends above them, within a band of dots.
The lower part of the design consists of two leafy branches terminating
in flowers, joined at the base to a decorative motif.

see no. 59

134a THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST

Unfinished. Approximately the same design as no. 134.

This unfinished design is an interesting example of the method used in cutting

the blocks; the design appears to have been completed as far as the silhouette
stage, and then abandonned - probably because artist f orgot some detail,
such as
the standard. No. 134 may be taken as the final, succesful attempt.
l3 5 AN ANGEL

The round head with a disc halo rests on a pair of outstretched wings.

see no. 5
ib

A apps
136 A GROSS

The cross surmounts a rising sun, which contains a crescent moon within
its disc. The design has an oval frame.

see no. 4

136a a cross

The cross stands on a triangular base ; each of its arms terminates in a

trefoil. It is contained within an oval frame.

see no. 4
Iaiy! THE ANGEL OF ANNUNCIATION

The angel Gabriel kneels on a cloud. He is winged and his head is comp-
letely enveloped by a disc halo. In his right hand he holds a leafy stem
bearing a six-petalled flower.

Probably a fertility symbol. See notes to no. 2, as well as no. 14 A.

138 ST. GEORGE AND THE DRAGON

St. George, mounted on a horse, is in the act of spearing the dragon. He

wears a pleated skirt and a short cloak and has a ray halo. In his right
hand he holds a long spear surmounted by a cross (?) and in his left, the
reins. The horse has a flowing tail and various trappings including a
bordered saddle-blanket decorated in the corner. The dragon is directly
beneath the horse and the tip of the spear enters its mouth. Its head is
crested, it has wings, two legs and a tail looped once terminating in an
arrow shape.

see no. 12

138 a AN ANGEL

The winged angel is in a semi-crouching position, with its left

arm raised.
see no. 114
leo THE RESURRECTION

Christ rises from the open tomb, His right leg crossed behind His left and
His right arm raised; in His left hand He hold a long cross to which two
pennants (?) are attached. He is bearded, has both disc and dotted halos,
wears a loin-cloth and a cloak. To His right is a curious elongated shape.
The Tomb is composed of two large stones, with a third laid transversely,
and the lid to the left ; on either side are winged angels with disc halos
wearing long robes, pointing upwards to Christ. Above Christ, a dove
descends within a semi-circle of rays; on either side of it are clouds. The
design has a flat base, from which springs an arch of contiguous leaves,
four on either side, joining at the top a domed church surmounted by a
cross; on either side of the church springs a three-leafed flower.

No. 13 has a similar arch of leaves; see also no. 139A below

139a ST. VERONICA AND THE VEIL

The standing Saint wears a three pointed crown on top of amantle, which
is twisted round her head and falls over a long robe crossed diagonally in
front at the waist; she has a dotted halo. To the left of her head is the sun,
to the right the moon; lower, flanking the figure, are two round shapes
(the arms of a throne?) The veil shows the bearded head of Christ on its
side, with a dotted halo. It is held by two standing angels who wear man-
tles (possibly distorted disc halos) and long pleated robes with broad hems.
Below is the rising sun motif, shown in this case as a reversed segment
with rays. Coming from the frame on either side of the sun and moon are
double shafts with square ends which enter the design diagonally. Above
the Saint hang five lamps. The arched frame, similar to no. 139, culmi-
nates in a domed church surmounted by a cross, with a three-pointed
flower on either side.

see no. 12A

140 ST. VERONICA AND THE VEIL

St. Veronica is depicted with hands together, wearing a three-pointed

crown surmounted by a cross over a mantle, surrounded by rays. The
veil shows the bearded head ofChrist on its side and is supported by angels,
each with a single wing raised. Both Christ and the angels have ray halos.
The angels and the lower edge of the veil are resting on an elaborate
decorative arrangement of scrolls of various sizes, themselves linked by
a trident shape.

see no’ 33A

14] THE RESURRECTION

Christ is shown with both arms raised, ascending, above a building. In

His right hand He carries a standard consisting of a cross and a long
forked pennant. He has a ray halo; He wears a loin-cloth. Above His
left hand is a dove. The main part of the building consists of an arch
from which hang four lamps, with an altar (?) and the annointing
stone (?) underneath it. This arch is surmounted by a pointed dome
bearing a cross, behind which is a buttressed tower surmounted bya dome
and across; from the latter dome hangs a lamp. To the left of the main
structure is a smaller arcaded building with a pointed dome and a cross,
containing another altar and the tomb (?)

This ingeniously designed building is almost certainly the

Holy Sepulchre, with the
Rotunda to the left. See also nos. 1, 86
| 142 ST. GEORGE AND THE DRAGON

St. George, wearing a flowing cloak, is mounted on a horse. He holds his

spear in both hands and is in the act of killing the dragon. The winged,
dragon, directly beneath the prancing horse, has two legs and a pointed
tail.

This example is more naturalistic in treatment than the other versions of St. George.
see no. 12
143 THE HOLY LAMB

The Lamb, in profile, turns its head back to the left; a standard rests
diagonally across its shoulder.

see no. 3
<a
144 THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST

Christ stands in the River Jordan, His hands crossed on His breast; He
has long hair and wears a loin-cloth. To the left, standing on the bank, is
St. John baptising with his right hand ; he is bearded, wears a long robe
and carries a standard consisting of a long cross and a forked pennant.
On the right bank stands a winged angel, holding a cloth. Above the three
figures a dove descends in a circle of rays. The oval design is framed with
two leafy branches crossed at the base and joined at the top to a domed
church.

see no. 59

144a THE RESURRECTION

Christ, wearing a flowing cloak and a loin-cloth, stands on the tomb, His
left leg crossed behind His right and His right arm raised; in His left
hand He holds a standard consisting of a long cross and a forked pennant.
He is bearded and has long hair; the figure is modelled. Flanking Him
are two winged angels, kneeling with their arms crossed on their breasts.
The oval design is framed by a continuous leafy branch supporting at
the
top a domed church.
145 THE RESURRECTION

Christ stands on the open tomb, His right leg crossed behind His left and
His right arm raised; in His left hand He carries a standard consisting of
a long cross and a forked pennant. He is bearded, has long hair, a disc
halo and wears a cloak over His shoulders. He is flanked by two seraphs.
The lower part of the design consists of two leafy branches containing the
tomb and a date (1912).

One of the two definitely dated designs in the collection ; the other is no. 68
146 THE RESURRECTION

Christ rises from the tomb, His right leg is crossed behind His left and
both arms raised ; in His left hand He holds a standard. He is bearded,
has a ray halo and wears a cloak and a loin-cloth. To His right is a star.
The pointed oval frame of diamond-shaped leaves is surmounted by a
church (?) and joined at the base to a disc with two swinging censers and
a three-pointed leaf.
147 THE HOLY LAMB

The Lamb, in profile, turns its head to the right; a standard witha
forked pennant rests diagonally across its shoulder. To the right of the
Lamb is a cross. ;

see no. 3
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The following three legends of St. Sarkis are taken from “A Dictionary Of Armenian
Proper names” (1948) Vol. IV, by Hratchia Ad jarian; printed at Erevan (not translated
)

The King of Armenia was Tiridate, living at Tabriz. Tiridate had a mutual
aid treaty with the Roman Emperor and when the barbarians marched on
Rome, the Emperor requested Tiridate’s help. The King sent him forty soldiers,
with Sarkis as their general. When they arrived, the Emperor was very annoyed
and said ‘‘I wanted 50,000 soldiers, not 40. Go home.”? The soldiers swore to
the Emperor that they would cut off all his enemies’ heads. But the Emperor
scornfully refused their help. They were so ashamed they marched by them-
selves on the barbarians. The King of the barbarians heard that forty soldiers
were marching against him; so he sent 1000, then 2000, then 10,000 cavaliers
against them, who were all massacred. The soldiers then fought the King ofthe
barbarians himself and his army ; they killed them all and carried the King’s
head back to the Emperor in triumph. The Emperor was full of admiration,
but at the same time rather worried: what would happen if there was a war
between himself and Armenia with such an opposition ? So he organised a
banquet and during the course ofit, killed all the forty soldiers - except one,
the general Sarkis, who escaped on horseback with the help of a woman and
fled back to Tabriz. King Tiridate wept when he heard the fate of his thirty-
nine soldiers and cried ‘“‘ Who will avenge me?” Sarkis said he would. Sarkis
marched with the King and his army on the Romans, and they killed them all,
including the Emperor. But Sarkis was unable to sleep, beeause they were all
killers now, plunged in a sea of blood. So the Bishops advised that 40 churches
should be called after him and established a three-day fast in his name. So
Sarkis found peace.
There is a legend about General Sarkis in Georgian literature. Init he is the
son of Souroul, and a hero. He accepted the celibate life and built a monastery
at the foot of Mount Ararat, near Tivin. The Arabs attacked Tivin, but were
repulsed by the hermit Sarkis. Later the Governor of Isphahan attacked the
monastery, captured Sarkis and sent him as a prisoner to the Sultan of Persia.
The Sultan asked Sarkis to accept Islam. He refused and was martyred.
The third legend, heard by Hratchia Adjarian as a boy in Constantinople,
concerns a young man of that town, Sarkis, who fell in love with a Greek
princess. He wished to rape her, and mounting her on a horse, fled to Constan-
tinople. When he arrived all the gates were closed ; he rode round and round
the city, and eventually, in desperation before one gate he shouted “ Break
open!” The gate miraculously opened and he entered the city.
 Pt
IN DXB
The legend of St. Behnam, as related by Brother Peter of the Syrian Convent of St.
Mark, Jerusalem.

St. Behnam and Saro Hotheh, his sister, were the princely children of
King Sargon of Iraq in the 5th. century AD. One day Behnam was hunting
in the wilderness with forty soldiers, when he saw a gazelle, which he un-
successfully attempted to catch. The gazelle led him during the chase to
a cave, were Behnam meta monk, called St. Matti. The Holy Ghost instructed
St. Matti to tell Behnam about God, and Behnam was converted to Christianity.
At this time, his sister was sick ‘‘with a bad smell” (leprosy) and he brought her
to the monk, who cured her and baptised both of them and the forty soldiers
in a pool. When they returned to the palace the King was very angry and
wanted to kill them, as he was a pagan and they had renounced his faith. Their
mother, who was a good woman, told them to flee on a horse; but the King and
his army came after them. They found themselves in rocky country where the
horse could not go, so they got down and ran away. Saro Hotheh could not
climb as fast as her brother, who by now had reached the top of a mountain.
She cried out to him, as the King was almost upon her, for advice; Behnam told
her to pray. She prayed, and the rocks opened into a cave, which she climbed
inside ;but she forgot to pray to pray to God to close it, and she was left with her
head outside. King Sargon cut off her head, and then resumed his chase after
Behnam. Behnam continued climbing, and in answer to his prayers the rocks be-
came like steps in front of him, and he gained a lead on his father. But when he
got farther on, the land became a plain and there was nowhere to conceal him-
self. He saw a shepherd, with a flock of black goats, and asked him to hide him.
The shepherd refused, saying the King would kill him if he was found out.
He then saw another shepherd, with a flock of white sheep, who he also asked
for help ; this shepherd concealed him under a skin, and put salt on the ground
and piped to the sheep, so they gathered around to conceal him. But he was
betrayed by the first shepherd, who told King Sargon where he was. The King
killed the shepherd and lifted the skin, saying to Behnam that he must return
to the heathen faith. Behnam refused, so the King cut off an arm and then told
him that if he would return he would give him a golden arm and all his kingdom.
Behnam replied that he preferred a small portion of the Kingdom of Heaven in
the life to come. The King, enraged, cut off his other arm; again he repeated his
request and again Behnam refused. So the King cut off his head. At this time
three lights fell over the martyred Saint. His father returned ; the death of his
children at his own hand drove him mad. Meanwhile, the martyred Saint
Behnam appeared to his mother in a dream and told her to bring some earth
from the place of his martyrdom, mix it in a glass of water, and give it to
the King to drink. This she did and when the King drank it, he was miraculously
restored to sanity, and converted to Christianity. He built a monastery, Deir
Mar Behnam, and filled it with two thousand monks. This monastery still exists
today.
 Pb x OF SUBJECTS
Abraham sacrificing Isaac, 99
Angel, 5, 85, 114, 126, 131, 131a, 134, 135, 138a,
Angel of the Annunciation, 137
Angel of the Apocalypse, 23
Archangel Michael fighting the Devil, 22, 92, 10la
Annointing stone, 46, 81
Annunciation, 14a, 28, 30a, 34, 56, 57, 90, 91
Baptism of Christ, 59, 61, 79a, 93, 94, 94a, 134, 134a, 144
Birds in a tree, 28a
Bishop, 25, 50, 73, 95a
Chapel, 47
Christ in the tomb, (?) 75
Christ tied to a column, 38, 58
Church (unknown), 43, 51
Cross, 4,102,136,136a,
Cross, three crowns and a star, 10
Crucifixion, 48, 55, 56a, 60, 78, 79, 123
Dome of the rock, 52a
Eagle, double-headed, 27
Edicule in the Holy Sepulchre, 45
Elijah casting down his cloak to Elisha, 19
‘“‘Flower-pot”’ design, 64, 65, 100
Holy Lamb, 3, 30, 36a, 143, 147
Inscription, Armenian, 68
- Slav, 69
Last Supper, 21
Lion, 19a, 89
-two lions. 3la
Madonna, 71
Madonna and Child, 26, 35, 52, 76, 98, 121, 124a, 133
Mary Magdalene at the tomb, 31
Mermaid, 2
Nativity, 20, 40a, 80, 95
Pillar and cock, 88
Presentation of Christ in the Temple, 55a
Resurrection, 1, 6, 8, 11, 13, 14, 15, 17, 24a, 29, 33, 39, 41a, 44, 23, FOI
74, 77, 82, 83, 86, 87a, 96, 104, 105, 107, 107a, 108, 108a, 109,
ela ld Soba eee: 120a, 122a, 124, 127, 128, 132,
139, 141, 144a, 145, 146
St. Dimian (?), 24
St. George and the Dragon, 12, 45a, 47a, 63a, 66a, LOT, 106, 119, 138. 142
St. John the Baptist (?), 18, 113
St. John the Baptist, head of, 7, 32, 36, 40, 103, i225.
St. Veronica and the Veil, 33a, 37, 38a, 41, 42, 84, 87, 97, 112,
122, 139a,
140
Sain with atchild on a horse, 9, 16, 62, 63, 66, 106a, 110, 116, 130
Shrine, 49, 54, 129
Sword, 67
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PLATE I

PLATE II Tattooing the youngest member of a Coptic family from Lebanon

PLATE III i ‘aking a pl nL from one oOiy the wood block s

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PEA TEAAt An Aby “SSINLAN ¢ roztler: see Own

THEOLOGY LIBRARY
CLAREMONt CALIF.
 4193
C3
1956—

|
THEOLOGY LIBRARY
CLAREMONT
| SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY
| CLAREMONT, CA
91711

DEMCO

|
| GN Carswell, John, 1931-
TANS AG Coptic tattoo designs. With a foreword by Margaret Mur-
| 03 ray. (2d ed., rev. and expanded. Beirut, Faculty of Arts
1958 and Sciences, American University of Beirut, 1958.
1v. illus. ports. 30cm,
“{imited to two hundred copies numbered 1 to 200 of which this
igno. 40,"
Bibliographical footnotes.

2. Pilgrims and pilgrimages—Jerusalem, 3, Art,

| 1. Tattooing.
Coptic. I, Title,
Full name: John William Carswell.

) Bi C csc pars
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