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Bowl with a Coptic Monk-Priest

1050–1100
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
With their roots in Egypt, Copts were among the earliest Christian communities in Jerusalem. The monk-priest depicted here wears the distinctive stole and belt of the Coptic clergy. He stands beside an elongated and stylized ankh—a cross with a loop at the top. In ancient Egypt this symbol signified life, and it was later used in the Coptic Church to represent Christ.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Bowl with a Coptic Monk-Priest
  • Date: 1050–1100
  • Geography: Made in probably Cairo, Egypt
  • Culture: Egyptian
  • Medium: Stonepaste with luster overglaze
  • Dimensions: 4 1/8 × 9 1/4 in. (10.4 × 23.5 cm)
  • Classification: Ceramics
  • Credit Line: Victoria and Albert Museum, London, Purchased with the assistance of the The Art Fund and the Bryan Bequest (C.49-1952)
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters