Byzantine and Ethiopian crosses |
espaņol
back to woodcarving |
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As I said, during the seven months
that I spent at the monastery of St. Jean du Desert, in the outskirts of
Jerusalem, I was the apprentice of Pere Samuel. This is just a small
sample of the crosses that I used to carve at his atelier. They were made in
olive wood from the fields of Bethlehem; olive is a hard wood, and it allows
good detail. This was back in 1987, so
it's been awhile; the whole setting of the place, including the magnificent
stone building, the terraced vineyards, the peaceful surroundings, the
beautiful and awesome byzantine rites and the learning of a new craft made
for a very magical experience. |
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Once a week, Abba Gebraab used to
come to the woodworking atelier. He was an ethiopian monk from the
Abyssinian Monastery in the roof of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in
Jerusalem. He came to make his crosses, and it was so refreshing to have him
with us. He was a simple, good spirited guy, with a heart of gold. He gave
me a glimpse of what ethiopian, and african art is. He was not burdened by
any notion of symmetry, and he was so fluid and spontaneous in his art that
it was a joy to work with him.
I
made this crosses based on models by him, or from a book that he used to
bring; my style is much more precise and symmetrical. He used to like the
way I worked, and conversely, I used to admire his artwork. |
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The
cross on the far left is a bishop's cross, thus bigger and more elaborate.
The other three are normal priests or monks' crosses; it seems that they
usually carry them around when they have to go from one place to another.
The third cross from left to right was made by Abba Gebraab, we exchanged
crosses as a present when it was time for me to leave the monastery, and
Jerusalem, and Palestine. I haven't been back there since. |
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