Pectoral icon depicting the allegory of the Trinity, 19th century

Bronze casting

Height × width: 10 × 6.5 cm Weight: 91 g.

In the scene of the Hospitality of Abraham, depicted within a clipeus, the narrative originally represents the visit of the angels to Abraham but is reinterpreted symbolically as a Old Testament representation of the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). The most famous example is Andrei Rublev’s Trinity, created around 1422 and preserved at the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. On the upper tab of the cross, the Mandylion of Edessa is depicted, an icon considered the oldest and most important portrait of Jesus in the Christian tradition. This icon belongs to the group of Russian Old Believers’ icons, produced in series from the 17th century. These works were generally small in size and intended for private devotion. Their portability allowed them to be easily carried and, if necessary, hidden, 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. The surface of the object is particularly worn, as the Old Believers considered oxidation and darkening a sign of corruption; for this reason, they required metal icons to remain always polished. When an icon began to darken, it was rubbed with chalk, sand, ash, or brick powder to restore its original brilliance. This continuous and devout polishing, far from being damaging, today makes these icons even more precious and captivating, as the wear of the metal visually narrates centuries of care and incessant prayer.