The Iconography of Weapons in Coptic Paintings from the Fourth Century till the Thirteenth Century AD

Abstract

Weapons, particularly the spear, lance, sword, and the protective shield appeared on a great scale in Coptic paintings as early as the fourth century onwards. These scenes are usually found on the walls of churches and monasteries, in which the military saint appears, riding his horse, carrying a spear in his hand, stabbing one of the enemies. Moreover, archangels were frequently depicted with spears and swords in their hands. Weapons were also depicted in Biblical scenes inspired from the Old Testament particularly scenes of the Massacre of the Innocents, the conflict of David with Saul and Goliath and the sacrifices of Abraham and Jephthah. Rare hunting scenes show bows and arrows as weaponry tools. However, prior research had shed light on these scenes without analyzing the iconography of every weapon in detail. Recent studies did not examine the parallels and contrasts between the depicted weapons nor the concept of every weapon. From this point on, the significance of this study is undeniable in that it approaches the concept and iconography of weapons in Coptic paintings according to the context and artistic iconography. The present paper aims to study and analyze the artistic features of weapons illustrated in Coptic paintings. Furthermore, the paper aims to study the context of the depicted weapons to approach the concept of every weapon in detail. The study also analyzes the accompanying body postures of the weapon's carrier and his opponent and their symbolism. To approach the earlier aims, a descriptive approach was followed in giving a comprehensive account concerning the origin, concept as well as the iconography of every weapon in detail. Furthermore, the researchers used the comparative analytical approach to trace the similarities and differences between the weapons and to trace the development in every weapon in Coptic art till the thirteenth century AD.