Photos

Comments

• 

  ingrid Langerak January 27, 2015 at 2:47pm

  These are two meditation stick covers,the are mounted on top of sturdy wooden stick .  In the old Ethiopian Coptic churches there are no chairs or benches. ( In the new cathedrals there are benches).

  So the church attendants are standing listening to the cermons and can be quite long, so they lean on the stick with both hands and rest their chins on their hands.  One nice story of this is that King Lalibella, the one who had so many rock churches made in Lalibella town, was a tall person, this because of his meditation stick is still in tact and quite long.

  The left one has beautiful waving design with bell decoration, very elegant and I place it more amongst the Gondar  area.  The right one has all the designs of the Harrar, Orgoba elements, like the muria beads of the Ogadin and Harrar area, so also the stem looks like some of the bracelets and the large granulate on top.  So I suspect to come form a copctic church from the eastern area. Both are good silver and both are antique.
• 

  Lynn Ardent January 27, 2015 at 2:59pm

  Beautiful and unique artifacts!  Love the soft glow of the silver. 
• 

  Betty January 27, 2015 at 3:07pm

  Please ignore my previous remark below the other picture of these pieces. I had not seen the explanation.... Very interesting and new to me. Thanks so much for posting!
• 

  ingrid Langerak January 27, 2015 at 3:10pm

  Hi Betty, These are old one, you might have seen the ones which do look like a much more solid T shape, from a later period. Those are around in silver, nickel and brass. most probably also more comfortable as those offer more room for the hands. Gr. Ingrid.
• 

  Betty January 27, 2015 at 3:14pm

  You are right, Ingrid. I know the t- shaped ones. while certainly being more practical, the antique ones are so much more attractive. Thanks for sharing the pics with us. Again I have learned something new!
• 

  Eva Baby January 30, 2015 at 8:30am

  beautiful pieces, thanks for the Information about them. It makes it so much different to know more how they are used.
• 

  ingrid Langerak January 30, 2015 at 8:46am

  Thank you Eva,  They are well used and saved because especially when people get older they do spend a lot of time at the church every day for meditation and also in the church yard for socializing and of course, a bit of gossiping. Gr. Ingrid
• 

  Eva Baby January 30, 2015 at 9:41am

  Thanks Ingrid, I had to smile a lot about the "bit of gossiping"........  it reminds me of some churches here .
• 

  ingrid Langerak January 30, 2015 at 9:55am

  That is right Eva, you know also in the middle ages older people spend a lot of time around the walls of churches, It is also very much given in the play of 'Murder in the Cathedral" in Canterbury,Kent, England.

  I did ones the choreography of the chores of that play. And dear did they gossip,  I took than was going on around the Ethiopian churches. You see it so clearly. GR. Ingrid.