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The term "Copt" originally referred to the native
Egyptians, as opposed to the Greek or Arab
invaders. While later "Copt" became a religious
designation referring to Christian Egyptians, the
Coptic period is defined as the first millennium
of the Christian era, when Christianity thrived in
Egypt. Ideally situation at the join of three
continents, Coptic artists drew inspiration from
the many influences: the forms and motifs of
ancient Egypt, classical and Hellenistic Greece
and Rome, Near Eastern art; and contemporary
life in the Nile Valley. Although Coptic art is
generally associated with Christianity, many of its
motifs are distinctly non-Christian, such as
Bacchanal scenes, pastoral compositions inspired
by classical poetry, and groups of nereids and
maenads frequently represented on textiles. The
style of Coptic art evolved from the late antique
art of Egypt, retaining Greek and Roman
influences. Economic conditions doubtless
played a major role in the emergence of a freer,
more popular style of art; the lack of an
extensive patronage system is evident in many
aspects of Coptic art, the emphasis on more
personal, less monumental art, the avoidance of
costly materials, and the dearth of skilled
craftsmen with extensive training among them.
The stylistic tendencies of Coptic art move away
from a naturalistic rendering of the human form
and features. Outline and detail are simplified,
and the number of motifs is limited.
The pages bear text written in black ink with
embellishments on each page. There are also
some additional comments in Arabic that would
have been written centuries later, following the
Arab conquest of Egypt (639-641 A.D.). Years
later, when the Arab rulers forced any Coptic
official working in their government to use
Arabic for all documents, written Coptic slowly
began to die out. Thus, it is possible that the
Arabic notations were not written by an Arab, but
by later generations of Copts who had difficulty
comprehending the written language of their
ancestors.
- (X.0296)
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