Saint Isidore of Chios – Silkscreen on Naturally Aged Wood – Mount Athos

Description

Silkscreen on Naturally Aged Wood with Saint Isidore of Chios

Saint Isidore (May 14) was originally from Alexandria and served as a sailor in the royal fleet during the reign of Emperor Decius.

One day, when the fleet was anchored at Chios, it was reported to Admiral Numerius that Isidore was a Christian. Numerius soon heard the same from Isidore himself when he invited him to confess. Isidore was then severely beaten and thrown into prison.

When his father learned of this, he immediately traveled to Chios, deeply distressed that his son had abandoned the ancestral pagan faith. When Isidore saw his father, he kissed him with great reverence and affection, moved by the moment. His father did the same, but soon expressed his sorrow and begged him to return to paganism. Furious at his son’s refusal and unwavering faith, he cursed him and urged Numerius to have him executed immediately. Indeed, after various tortures, Isidore was beheaded.

His sacred body was thrown into a ravine to be devoured by vultures, with only a few soldiers guarding it to prevent Christians from taking it. However, one Christian woman, named Myrope, came that night and, with the help of two servants, took the holy body while the soldiers were resting. She buried it with great reverence. The next day, Numerius, upon learning of the event, imprisoned the soldiers, suspecting they had been bribed by Christians. He spread the news that he would kill them unless they revealed who had taken the body. Myrope decided it was unjust for the soldiers to be executed, so she appeared before Numerius and told him the truth. He ordered her to be imprisoned and tortured. After her martyrdom, the Christians buried her relics with reverence near the grave where she had previously laid the body of Saint Isidore.

In the earthly Paradise, Mount Athos, the wood that bears the image of Saint Isidore of Chios lived for many years. It was part of an old cell that was renovated. The monks, seeing its future use as an icon, carefully cut and preserved the wood using methods known on Mount Athos for the restoration of wooden iconostasis.

Since the icon is handmade and the wood processing is done by hand, there may be slight variations in the wood, but not in the depiction.

The icon is available upon request.

Dimensions: 20 x 23 x 2 cm