Origin: Egypt
Circa: 400 AD to 600 AD
Dimensions: 13.25" (33.7cm) high x 6.25 " (15.9cm) wide
Collection: Egyptian
Style: Coptic
Medium: Wood, Ivory
This piece may be one of the earliest recorded representations of St Peter, and as such is of global importance in both religious and art- historical terms. The figure is rendered in low relief on a wooden panel just over a foot high, and is framed by a raised border decorated with ivory trim and quadrangular motifs decorated with five dots each. The apex of the panel is decorated with a fretwork ivory arch, containing floral decoration, a pair of ornate Coptic crosses in circles, and a pair of fish facing one another. The figure is ‘standing’ on what is evidently intended to be a plinth, containing a small Coptic inscription written on an ivory panel, a pair of small Coptic crosses, and a pair of birds facing towards the centre. The iconography is unmistakably Christian, as the doves and the fish have strong biblical associations with Christ and Christianity. The figure itself is in wood, with head, hands and feet rendered in ivory. His accessories – a staff, a cross and a halo – are also made from ivory strips. As befits his status, he is dressed in a plain, long tunic that reaches to the feet, decorated frontally with 6 small crosses made from incised dots. The cuffs of each sleeve are also decorated with incised dots, and the texture of the fabric has been rendered in great detail with every fold and wrinkle in position. The head is made from a single block of ivory, showing a bearded face with hair cut to below the ears, a long, aquiline nose and a small mouth. The pose of the figure and the facial expression suggest stoic serenity.

Antiquities
Ancient Egyptian