222 - RUTSCHOWSCAYA (Marie-Hélène). — Catalog of Coptic Woodwork from Egypt

RUTSCHOWSCAYA (Marie-Hélène). — Catalog of Coptic Woodwork from Egypt Paris, Ministry of Culture, Éditions de la Réunion des musées nationaux, 1986. Large quarto, paperback, softcover with a color illustration of a Coptic wood carving; abundant photographic illustrations in black-and-white and color. An important scholarly catalog of the Coptic wood collections held at the Louvre Museum, compiled by Marie-Hélène Rutschowscaya, then a specialist in Coptic art and Christian antiquities from Egypt. The work constitutes a comprehensive corpus of wooden objects from Christian Egypt housed at the Louvre. Each piece is studied and reproduced individually, accompanied by catalog information: inventory number, provenance, material, dimensions, state of preservation, dating, and bibliography. The catalog covers both objects of daily life and crafts—weaver’s tools, spindles, spindle whorls, boxes, lids, seals, and various utensils—as well as elements related to architecture and monumental decoration. A particularly significant section is devoted to Coptic architectural decoration, notably to carved friezes and panels adorned with human, animal, plant, or geometric motifs. Several pieces from Egyptian excavations are placed in their archaeological and architectural context. Extensive documentary iconography: photographs of the works, details, reproductions of seals, carved elements, archaeological documents, and a few color reproductions. More than 340 objects are described and reproduced, with the catalog reaching at least No. 343 in the section devoted to architectural decoration. A reference work for the study of Coptic art, woodcarving, the decorative arts, and the archaeology of Christian Egypt. Condition: good copy. Cover slightly scuffed and soiled, with some signs of wear, mainly on the spine and edges; interior clean and fresh, binding sturdy.