Vol.I - The Coptic Orthodox Church

242 Ancient Coptic Churches. [CH. iv.
square is a symbol not uncommon in western Christendom
but very rare in these Coptic churches two
peacocks standing face to face on opposite edges of
a flower-vase.
The other carvings represent chiefly animals.
Gazelles are frequently pourtrayed, one being torn
by an eagle, another devoured by a leopard or lion,
a third having its eyes plucked out by a vulture or
roc. Hares and camels are well rendered in other
panels, and there are two figures of four-legged
winged griffins. Two curious little life-pictures deserve
special notice : they represent two men in
flowing drapery sitting cross-legged in eastern fashion
on the ground, each waited upon by two standing
slaves or ministers. The existence of this screen is
quite unknown even to the few travellers or residents
who have ever visited any church besides Abu
I could not hear that any one had
Sargah : and
ever before been admitted to the triforium 1
. But
the extraordinary interest of these carvings alone
will well repay the trouble of a visit a trouble the
politeness of the priest will probably lighten. At
1 Since I wrote the above, the screen has had a narrow escape
of being removed and carried away to England. When it became
clear that the priest could not be prevailed upon to sell it, he
was threatened with the displeasure of the British Government (!) :
and, the threat failing, an effort was made to frighten the patriarch
into yielding up the screen. Fortunately all endeavours proved
unsuccessful. They were known, however, all over Cairo, and
produced a great deal of natural ill-feeling among the Copts.
I protest in the strongest manner possible against such attempts
to rob the Coptic churches of their few remaining treasures : more
particularly when the object in question has a structural importance,
and loses its chief interest in being removed from its original
position. In such a case museums may be gainers ; but the cause
of art and archaeology suffers.