Leaf of a triptych depicting the Mother of Consolation., 19th century

Bronze casting with polychrome enamels

Height × width: 12.5 × 9 cm Weight: 133.5 g.

Tradition traces the origin of the cult to the miraculous rescue from a shipwreck of the son of Theodosius I, Arcadius, attributed to the intervention of the Virgin Mary. At the site where Arcadius was found, on Vatopedi Beach near Mount Athos, Patriarch Nektarios erected a sanctuary and placed the icon of the Otrada, on whose model copies were later painted and sent to Russia. Surrounding the Virgin are figures without halos, emphasizing her role as mediator and intercessor, spiritually welcoming the faithful under her protection. In the upper section, the Trinity of the New Testament is depicted, composed of the seated figures of Jesus Christ and God the Father, who together hold the globus cruciger, symbol of divine dominion over creation, while at the apex of the composition appears the dove of the Holy Spirit, sealing the unity of the three divine persons. These objects, 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, after the schism known as the Raskol, endured periods of persecution by the official Russian Orthodox Church.