Travel icon depicting Saint Georgeand the Deesis, 19th century

Bronze casting with polychrome enamels

Height × width: 14.5 × 12 cm Weight: 409 g

According to the traditional canon, Saint George is depicted as a young warrior on horseback, with a red cloak—symbol of his martyrdom—flowing in the wind. A serpent-like creature at the horse’s feet represents evil or defeated paganism. The most significant detail, which situates the icon within the Old Believers’ context, is the position of the fingers of God’s hand emerging from the upper right corner to bless George. In Old Believer icons, the hand is always shown with two extended fingers, symbolizing the dual nature of Christ, in contrast to the three fingers introduced by the reforms.The central composition is framed by a series of clipei that mark its perimeter: the upper register hosts the Deesis flanked by archangels, while along the remaining three sides stand full-figure saints. Moreover, icons attributable to the Old Believers were generally small in size and intended for private devotion. Their portability allowed them to be easily carried and, if necessary, concealed, 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.