Description
Icon of Saint George on Naturally Aged Wood
An exceptional icon on naturally aged wood, depicting Saint George, one of the most venerated saints in the Christian world.
Saint George was born in Cappadocia in 275 AD to Christian parents. After his father was martyred for his faith, his mother and ten-year-old George moved to her homeland in Palestine. At the age of 18, George joined the Roman army. Emperor Diocletian, in his campaign to eradicate Christians, summoned all officials to lead the persecution. Among them, George boldly confessed before the emperor that he was a Christian.
Enraged, Diocletian imprisoned George and subjected him to a series of tortures. During his trials, a voice from heaven assured him, “Do not fear, George, for I am with you.”
In prison, George dreamt of Christ announcing that he would soon receive the crown of martyrdom. The following morning, George was brought before the emperor. Once again, he refused to sacrifice to idols, and Diocletian ordered his beheading.
Saint George is considered the patron saint of Infantry and the Army. His feast day is celebrated on April 23rd. However, if this date falls during Lent (before Easter), his feast is observed on the Monday following Easter (Bright Monday).
In the earthly paradise of Mount Athos, the wood used for this icon served another purpose for many years. After renovating the cell, the monks envisioned its future as an icon. They carefully cut and preserved the wood using traditional methods known on Mount Athos for maintaining wooden iconostases. This icon carries a piece of Mount Athos’ history and the prayers of the monks who lived in the cell from which the wood originates.
As the icon is handmade and the wood is processed manually, slight variations in the wood may occur, but the depiction itself remains unchanged.
The icon is available upon request.
Origin: Mount Athos
Dimensions: 20 x 21.5 x 2 cm
