[Centre for Egyptological Studies of the RAS]

Projects

Conservation of Coptic Icons

Report on the season of 2002–2003

Next season of the Coptic Icons conservation and restoration project started in December 2002 and endured till the end of March 2003. We have mentioned that this international multidiscipline project has for an object preservation and studying of the Coptic historical and cultural heritage, especially icons. Many institutions take part in the project: the Supreme Counsel of Antiquity of ARE, Coptic Orthodox Church, American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE), the Institute of Coptic Studies. Specialists from the Centre for Egyptological Studies of RAS together with restorers from the Grabar Art Conservation Center are in the project since 1999.

V. Zanozin at work

This year Russian specialists (A. Gormatiuk, V. Zanozin, Grabar Art Conservation Center and E. Tolmacheva, CES RAS) together with an international team worked at different restoration sites in Cairo. Among them Church of Virgin Mary «Al-Mo'allaqa», Church of St. Mina (Fum al-Khalik) and church of St. Ruis (Abbassia) are worth mentioning. The conservation works at every site had specificity, which was conditioned by a number of reasons: state of preservation of icons, technique of painting, historical, cultural and religious value of icons etc. The main problem was developing of the whole strategy and methodology of the restoration works and due to experience and knowledge of restorers from the Grabar Art Conservation Center this task was successively fulfilled.

The work at «Al-M'oallaqa» church was concentrated on the restoration of two medieval icons — «Annonciaton» and «Nativity» (XII–late XIII (?) centuries). V. Zanozin and Zuzana Skalova (Netherlands) conducted the work with the help of A. Gormatiuk (working out of the conservation technique). These two icons have great historical and cultural value. Suffice it to say that these are the only icons in Egypt, which were not removed from the original iconostasis. The state of preservation of icons was really poor, all the surface of the icons was covered with the dark layer of dust, varnish, synthetic glue (traces of previous restorations), overpainting, cracks etc. After consolidation, cleaning and a few retouching the original colors of medieval iconpainters appeared.

The collection of icons from St. Mina church included icons of different dates and style. Among them even one Russian icon was found. A. Gormatiuk elaborated a special technique of restoration for XVII century icons painted by Egyptian iconpainter Matary.

Process of work

This season of works gave several unexpected discoveries. For a long time in the history of art was general opinion that overpaintings are unusual and very rare for the Coptic icons. During the project was proved that most of the icons from St. Mina and St. Ruis church were overpainted. For example, the icon of St. Mark (late XVIII century, restored by E. Tolmacheva) from St. Ruis church has about 4–5 layers of overpaintings dated to different periods. The face of saint, clothes and background were probably completely damaged and repainted during the renewing of the icons in the XIX century. In the case when overpaintings have self-maintained it is possible to remove them into the new support. A. Gormatiuk used this method during the work at the icon of Archangel Michael (St. Mina church) for the overpainting on the face of saint.

H. Tolmacheva