Leaf of a triptych depicting Saint Parasceva, 19th century

Bronze casting with polychrome enamels.

Height × Width: 9.5 × 6 cm Weight: 42.3 g.

In the upper section, a Old Testament Trinity is depicted, flanked by two seraphim and surmounted by the Mandylion of Edessa. This object belongs to the group of Russian Old Believers’ icons, mass-produced from the 17th century onward and characterized by a strict adherence to the canons of Byzantine tradition. These artifacts, often made of bronze and sometimes enriched with colored enamels, were generally small in size and intended for private devotion. Their portability made them easy to carry and, if necessary, to conceal, thus meeting the religious needs of a community that, following the schism known as the Raskol, endured periods of persecution by the official Russian Orthodox Church.