Ancient, Rare Diptych Made In Tempera On Wood

Ancient, rare diptych made in tempera on wood, Coptic icon with religious scenes. The right-hand panel depicts the Virgin and Child, with two figures of angels placed above, in the act of caressing two youths situated on either side. The left-hand panel, divided horizontally into two parts, presents at the top a scene of the crucifixion, with Christ surrounded by five figures, and at the bottom, the figures of two knights with prancing horses. The remarkable expressiveness of the painting and the skillful application of the colors, used in great variety and with a great balance of polychromy, allow us to define this extraordinary object as worthy of appearing in important public and private, national and international collections. The reference period can be set around the 17th century, always approximately due to the objective difficulty of comparing it with similar objects with a certain date. Noteworthy is an example preserved in the 'National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution', of which the attached photo is attached.