Handmade silver icon on natural wood, made with 925ο silver. The natural wood used for the synthesis of the icon is beech (fagus) from Mount Athos, a wood that is receptive to aging techniques that give the appearance of vintage to the wood, without altering the depicted image.
The depictions of faces, hands, halos or other representations are hand-painted on canvas by specialized iconographers, according to the traditional techniques of Byzantine Iconography. The silver frame of the icon is held by nails to resemble the original icons. On the back side, the icon has a small metal ring made of horseshoe nails so that it can be hung.
The surface of the icon is covered with engraved passages and scenes from the Bible. The icon is based on the Old Testament miracle of the Burning and Unburnt Bush, as described in the book of Exodus. One day, Moses found himself at the foot of Mount Horeb and there he realized that there were flames in the bush. He approached closer but realized that “The bush burned with fire, but the bush was not consumed” (Exod. 3:2). The burning bush signifies and symbolizes the Theotokos, who received within herself the Holy All-Consuming Fire of God but in a supernatural way was not burned. Fire functions symbolically for God as an invincible force and source of life that allows people to suffer but leads to purification.
In the center of the icon is depicted the Virgin Mary with Jesus Christ in her arms, flanked by angels. In the central frame, in bright colors, are depicted the two archangels Michael and Gabriel, along with the four Evangelists, Saint Mark, Saint Matthew, Saint Luke and Saint John the Theologian, as well as the Apostle Peter with Saint Paul. In this frame, there is also the symbolic figure for each Evangelist, as mentioned in the Revelation of John (4:4-7: “and the first beast like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast having a face as a man, and the fourth beast like a flying eagle”) and in the vision of the prophet Ezekiel (1:5-10). The Evangelist Matthew is symbolized by a human form or the form of an angel, as his Gospel begins with the birth in the flesh of Jesus Christ. The Evangelist Mark is symbolically depicted with a lion, the king of the animal kingdom, and has a double meaning, as the Gospel of Mark begins with the life of Saint John the Baptist in the desert where lions lived, but also because the main theme is the kingdom of Jesus Christ. The Evangelist Luke is symbolized as an ox, a domesticated animal used for sacrifices according to the old law. The Gospel begins with the worship of the old law and the sacrifice of oxen, as is the case with the sacrifice of Zechariah, the father of Saint John the Baptist. Finally, Saint John the Evangelist is symbolized by the eagle, because his speech was shocking with high spiritual power that resembles the powerful flight of the king of birds.
Dimensions: 34 x 44 cm.
