Pectoral icon depicting the Anastasis, 19th century

Bronze casting

Height × width: 6 × 4 cm Weight: 39.1 g.

The scene depicts the moment in which Christ, descending into Hell, with a gesture that combines both strength and tenderness, grasps Adam and Eve by the wrist, drawing them out of their sarcophagi and restoring them to life. On the upper tab, behind which the suspension hole is located, is depicted the Mandylion of Edessa—an image considered in Christian tradition to be the earliest and most authoritative portrait of Christ, believed not to have been made by human hands. The icon belongs to the group of Russian Old Believer icons, produced in series from the 17th century onward and characterized by a strict adherence to the canons of the Byzantine tradition. These objects, often made of bronze and sometimes enriched with colored enamels, were generally small in size and intended for private devotion. Their portability allowed them to be easily carried and, when necessary, concealed, thus responding to the religious needs of a community that, following the schism known as the Raskol, was subjected to periods of persecution by the official Russian Orthodox Church. The surface of the object now appears worn: the Old Believers regarded tarnish (oxidation and darkening) as signs of corruption and therefore required metal icons to retain a constant brilliance. When the surface began to darken, it was vigorously rubbed with abrasive materials such as chalk, sand, ash, or brick dust in order to restore its original luster. This practice, repeated over time with devotion, far from constituting damage, now lends the icon a distinctive charm: the wear of the metal becomes a visible testament to centuries of care, faith, and unceasing prayer.