Copper Bowl (Saint Sarkis, Kayseri)
Name/Title
Copper Bowl (Saint Sarkis, Kayseri)Description
The inscription reads “Յիշատակ է Կեսարիեայ + Սբ Սարգիսու եկեղեցոյն է ՌՄԾԴին,” transliterated as “Hishadag e Gesaria Surp Sarkisou Yeghetsuyn e RMTST.” Translation: Memory of Saint Sarkis Church of Gesaria (1804/5). This bowl may very well be a paten (մաղզմա), a ceremonial dish designed to hold the chalice during religious rituals. It seems that the engraver made a mistake and later added the symbol of Սբ (if you look carefully, you’ll see it). However, the result wasn’t clear, so they drew a vertical line over the symbol to turn it into a cross, and the scribbles at the bottom became decorative. If this is a small vessel, then it is likely a "magzma" or paten. Moreover, on the edges of magzmas, crosses are sometimes engraved between words. The Saint Sarkis Church was one of the prominent churches in Gesaria. It underwent restorations in 1723, 1834, and 1884. A comment on Facebook suggested that the church was destroyed by fire, though this remains unverified. According to one source, the church was originally built in the 16th century while another source states it was built older than that.Category
Bowls