Virgin Mary Sweet-Smelling – Silkscreen on Wood – Mount Athos

Description

Embossed Silk-Screen Icon on Wood of the Virgin Mary Glykophilousa

This particular silk-screen icon depicts the Virgin Mary Glykophilousa.

According to tradition, the icon of the Virgin Glykophilousa was saved from the period of iconoclasm and brought to Mount Athos. It is believed to have belonged to Victoria, the wife of a senator, who, in an attempt to save the icon, cast it into the sea.

Tradition says that the icon floated upright on the waves until it eventually reached the harbor (arsanas) of the Philotheou Monastery, where it was discovered and received by the fathers of the Monastery. On Easter Monday, a procession is held, carrying the icon from the Holy Monastery to the spot where it was found.

It is worth noting that the epithet Glykophilousa (“Sweet Kissing”) is one of approximately 500 names attributed to the Virgin Mary, who is one of the most beloved figures in the Orthodox Church.

This stunning silk-screen icon, created by a monk using wood and an aging technique with plaster in a gold finish, is one of the key features that make this piece collectible.

As the icon is handmade and the wood is processed by hand, slight variations may occur—though not in the depiction itself.

The icon is available upon request.

Origin: Holy Monastery of Iviron

Dimensions: 30 x 25 x 2 cm