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Altar prepared for the Liturgy
The Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine, Sinai, Egypt
Photo: Bruce White
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Many
of the liturgical implements required for the performance of
the Orthodox liturgy parallel those used for the Catholic Mass—the
paten for the bread of the liturgy; the chalice
for wine; and censers
for burning incense. Another object used in both the East
and West would be rhipidia,
a metal fan representing the tetramorph, or four-faced cherubim
that hover around God’s throne. These fans frequently
contain highly complex iconographic programs; they were placed
at the end of long poles and held over the book of the Gospels
as a gesture of respect, and also waved to keep insects away
from the Eucharistic elements.
Visual Expressions of the Faith
Liturgical Objects | Manuscripts and Frescoes
| Miniature Mosaic Icons | Vestments
and Textiles | Painted Icons
Themes in Late Byzantine Art
1. Introduction | 2. Peoples
of the Byzantine Sphere | 3. Visual Expressions of
the Faith | 4. The Byzantine Sphere
and the Islamic World | 5. The
Byzantine Sphere and the West
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