Christ and Abbot Mena: two haloed figures standing together, Christ’s arm resting on Mena’s shoulder.
Christ and Abbot Mena. Historical icon held in the Louvre collection; the subject of this research. Collection record

A sacred object.
A living community.

I followed my passion of iconography to the Stanford Summer Humanities Institute where I took a course titled “Colonial Extractions of African Cultural Treasures.” My final research project explored why Christ and Abbot Mena, the first known Coptic icon, should be repatriated to Egypt and placed specifically in a place of worship. I argued that it should be placed in Saint Simon the Tanner Monastery for its large liturgical presence, because the Bawit Monastery where it was originally extracted from, is no longer active. Through my research, I was able to investigate the marginalization of Coptic voices on matters of ownership and display of their own culture, and how iconography has been a vital part of the Coptic tradition throughout history.

The complete argument

From Vault to Altar

The original 18-page paper, including notes and bibliography.

Open PDF

Following the questions

The paper considers how an icon’s devotional purpose shapes questions of ownership and display. It presents a case for returning Christ and Abbot Mena to an active place of worship in Egypt.

A group of students standing together beneath stone arches during the summer humanities program.
From the Stanford Summer Humanities Institute materials.