Travel icon depicting an expanded Deesis, 19th century

Bronze casting with enamel

Height × Width: 18 × 14 cm Weight: 1058 g.

The scene, set against a blue background, is framed by a dense vine scroll containing numerous clipei: at the apex is depicted the Deesis, with Christ flanked by the Virgin Mary and Saint John the Baptist, while the medallions below host a series of saints forming a protective celestial hierarchy. This icon, of considerable weight, fully belongs to the context of the Old Believers, the community that in the 17th century rejected the reforms of the tsar and Patriarch Nikon. Forced into a condition of perpetual exile and flight, these religious adherents favored metal icons precisely for their extreme durability: although heavy, they were the only ones capable of withstanding precarious transport and burial without damage. The solidity of the bronze ensured that the sacred object remained intact, serving as a stable altar wherever the faithful found refuge.