Travel icon depicting Saint John the Theologian, 19th century

Bronze casting with polychrome enamels

Height × width: 14.5 × 8.5 cm Weight: 160.2 g.

The icon depicts the Evangelist John, recognizable by his traditional iconographic attribute: the eagle, a symbol of his theological elevation and the depth of his Gospel. The figure is presented in the variant known as the “theologian of silence,” as the saint covers his mouth with his hands—a gesture that alludes to the ineffable mystery of the divine word and to inner contemplation. In the upper section, within the crest, God the Father is shown emerging from the clouds, while a host of seraphim completes the composition at the top, enhancing the celestial and transcendent character of the image. This object belongs to the group of Russian Old Believers’ icons, mass-produced from the 17th century onward and characterized by a strict adherence to the canons of Byzantine tradition. These artifacts, often made of bronze and sometimes enriched with colored enamels, were generally small in size and intended for private devotion. Their portability made them easy to carry and, if necessary, to conceal, thus meeting the religious needs of a community that, following the schism known as the Raskol, endured periods of persecution by the official Russian Orthodox Church.