Travel icon depicting Saint Nicholas of Myra, 19th century

Bronze casting with polychrome enamels

Height × Width: 27.5 × 24 cm Weight: 1,577.3 g.

This icon belongs to the group of Russian Old Believers’ icons, produced from the 17th century onward and characterized by a strict adherence to the canons of the Byzantine tradition. Unlike the more common small metal icons intended for private devotion and travel, this example belongs to a slightly larger typology, designed for a more stable devotional use and for placement in the domestic sacred corner or in communal prayer spaces. These objects, often made of bronze and sometimes enriched with colored enamels, while still retaining a degree of portability, were less “travel icons” and more suited to continuous and visible veneration. The icon depicts the Bishop of Myra (4th century) in half-length, dressed in a mantle and the omophorion, symbols of his authority and pastoral responsibility. His right hand is raised in a gesture of blessing, while his left holds the Gospel, emphasizing his role as spiritual guide and intercessor for the faithful. On either side of the figure appear the Virgin and Christ, within two clouds, as witnesses to the scene and symbols of divine protection.