East Africa, Horn of Africa, Ethiopia, ca. 20th century CE. A skillfully carved wooden statue of Jesus standing on an integral plinth. Draped in a thick robe that exposes his right arm and legs, the Christian savior holds a lamb in his left hand; a symbol of his role as a shepherd of the people. Curling locks of hair crown his black-painted visage, which boasts two huge eyes, an arched brow, and a beard and moustache. Ethiopia can lay a claim to being one of the oldest Christian countries, and Ethiopians practice a distinctive form of the religion, embodied in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, which has a large and diverse Biblical canon. Size: 5.5" W x 20" H (14 cm x 50.8 cm)
The lamb symbolizes how Jesus laid down his life for his flock of sheep - his followers. The lamb also became the attribute of various personifications: innocence, patience, gentleness, and humility. The metaphor of Christ and Christians as shepherd and sheep may be found in the parables in Luke (15:3-7) and John (10:1-18) and to a lesser extent by Psalm 23, Isaiah (40:11) and Ezekiel (34). Its depictions in visual culture originated in Early Christian art when Christ the Good Shepherd scenes were found on catacomb paintings and sarcophagi of the 3rd and 4th centuries and mosaics of the 5th century. This iconography disappeared in the Middle Ages and rarely appeared in later fine artworks.
Provenance: private Englewood, Colorado, USA collection; ex-Martin Boxer collection; ex-Komor Gallery, New York City, New York, USA circa 1965
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#160631
Condition
Intact save small loss to plinth in Jesus' left hand, with nice aged patina and age related pitting. Minor age cracks as shown.