Pectoral icon depicting the Virgin of the Sign, 19th century

Bronze casting

Height × Width: 7 × 5 cm Weight: 126.5 g.

The Mother of God is depicted in an orant posture with her arms raised, while in front of her, on her chest, appears the effigy of Christ Emmanuel, a powerful symbol of the Incarnation of the Word cherished in the tradition of the Old Believers. In the spaces between the sides of the square framing the Virgin and the corners of the icon itself are placed the symbols of the four evangelists. Finally, on the tab that conceals the suspension ring, the Mandylion of Edessa is depicted—the acheiropoietos image of Christ’s face—which seals the entire work as a sign of protection and supreme divine authority. The surface of the icon is also rather smooth, because the Old Believers considered tarnish (oxidation or darkening) a sign of corruption and therefore wanted metal icons to remain polished. When a metal icon began to oxidize, it was enough to quickly rub it with a cloth, sometimes lightly sprinkled with chalk, sand, ash, or brick powder, and the icon would immediately regain its original brilliance.