19th Century Russian Sterling Silver Icon

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19th Century Russian Sterling Silver Icon

An icon of the Virgin Mary and Christ Child. The icon dates back to … Read more 19th Century Russian Sterling Silver Icon

An icon of the Virgin Mary and Christ Child. The icon dates back to the 19th Century and originates from Russia. It is a metal cover known as a riza or oklad. The riza, or "vestment," is a protective and decorative metal cover that shields the painted image beneath, leaving the faces and hands exposed. This practice of covering icons with precious metal originated in Byzantine art and was widely adopted in the Russian Orthodox tradition.

The style of the icon, particularly the close-up depiction of the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child and their head-to-head composition, identifies it as a variant of the "Mother of Tenderness" (Eleousa) type. In this depiction, the Virgin Mary's face is shown with a sense of gentle melancholy, and the Child presses His cheek tenderly against hers, emphasizing the intimate and affectionate relationship between mother and son. This specific depiction, with the Virgin's head turned toward the child, is also a characteristic of the highly revered Russian icon known as Our Lady of Kazan.

The metal cover, made of sterling silver, is decorated with repoussé work (a technique in which a malleable metal is shaped by hammering from the reverse side to create a design in low relief). See less