Description
Silkscreen Print of the Panagia Kardiotissa on Naturally Aged Wood
An exquisite and relatively rare depiction of the Panagia Kardiotissa.
The original image of the Kardiotissa took this name because the Virgin Mary holds Jesus on the left side of her embrace, near her heart. It is said to have been created by Saint Lazarus, a monk and iconographer, and has a long history, believed to date back to the period of Iconoclasm. In fact, the original icon was stolen from a monastery in Crete, where it was kept, and was transferred to the Church of Saint Alphonsus in Rome. The Panagia Kardiotissa was replaced, but it was stolen at least three times by the Turks, yet always returned to the monastery. According to tradition, once, to prevent its theft, it was chained to a marble column, but even then, it was stolen along with the column. However, not long after, the Panagia Kardiotissa returned once more to its place in the monastery.
The monk who created this particular icon, featuring the exquisite and relatively rare depiction of the Panagia Kardiotissa, used a piece of naturally aged wood that was obtained after restoration work in a cell on Mount Athos. The naturally aged wood gives the images a unique aesthetic and collectible value, while also conveying a piece of the centuries-old history of the Athonite State.
Since the icon is handmade and the wood is processed by hand, there may be small variations in the wood, but not in the depiction.
The icon is available upon request.
Dimensions: 19.5 x 27 x 2 cm
Origin: Mount Athos
