The angelic spheres in Coptic art : different ornamentations and interpretations

Abstract EN

In the East angels are believed to be not simply pure immaterial spirits,but to consist of a substance occasionally visible to saintly mortals.This belief gave them bodily form on the Coptic icons,murals,and stone sculptures,usually represented with The Christ and The Virgin,wearing liturgical vestments of Byzantine inspiration,holding a staff and a sphere decorated with different motifs, symbolizing the universality of the Kingdom of The Christ,emphasizing their position as God's ministers, assistants at the Heavenly Court,and the messengers who are responsible of delivering the holy messages of the God,evoking the presence of God Incarnate,honouring the Virgin as the Queen of Heaven, and is also considered as part of their formal uniform, acting as their identity card or token.