Virgin Mary Pantanassa – Serigraph on Naturally Aged Wood – Mount Athos

Description

Icon with Virgin Mary Pantanassa on Naturally Aged Wood

A serigraph with Virgin Mary Pantanassa which means «Queen of All» and  is one of the traditional epithets of the Virgin Mary in Greek Orthodoxy. The icon of Theotokos Pantanassa, made according ​​to the original icon, which is located at the Holy Great Monastery of Vatopedi. This miraculous icon is portable of the 17th century and is located on the left wing of the north-eastern column of the Catholikon of the Vatopedi Monastery.

The first record of the icon’s miraculous powers concerns a young man from Cyprus. When he entered into the church there was a glowing light radiating from the face of Virgin Mary  and an invisible power pushed the young man down to the ground. When he recovered from his fall, he began to weep and confessed that he didn’t believe and was a participant in the black arts. He changed his life and became an Orthodox Christian.

Blessed Wood that Came out of Paradise

The wood at this icon has been carefully cut and preserved by monks with excellent techniques on processing wood. This piece of naturally aged wood was part of a ceiling beam or a door but when monks renovated the cell and replaced them, they thought that these pieces of wood could be used to make beautiful artworks. The monks, with absolute respect, kept the old pieces of the wood and after the required maintenance they reuse them as a base for these beautiful icons. Renovation works are necessary at many cells so they can remain in good condition and monks can continue to live there.

As this icon is handmade and the wood processing is made exclusively by hand there might be small differences at the wood but not on the representation

Origin: Mount Athos

Dimensions: 19 x 23 x 1.5 cm