Travel icon depicting Saint Nicetas slaying the demon, 18th century

Bronze casting

Height × width: 6 × 4 cm Weight: 22.6 g.

This icon belongs to the group of icons of the Old Believers, produced in series starting from the 17th century and characterized by a strict adherence to the canons of the 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, experienced periods of persecution by the official Russian Orthodox Church.