Mother of God of the Three Hands (Troeručica) with metal riza, 19th century

Egg tempera on panel

Height x width: 45 x 37.5 cm

Enclosed within a magnificent, high-quality repoussé metal riza (protective cover). The iconography, linked to the miracle of the healing of Saint John of Damascus, follows a variation of the "Smolensk" type of the Mother of God: the Virgin is depicted in a half-length portrait with her head slightly inclined, supporting the Divine Infant on her right arm; the Child offers a blessing and holds a sealed scroll. The extraordinary, defining feature of this subject is visible at the bottom center, where a third, gilded hand—attached to the riza—appears. This represents the silver ex-voto commissioned by Saint John of Damascus after his severed hand was miraculously restored through the intercession of the Virgin, a fact confirmed by the calligraphic inscription on the cartouche at the base ("ТРОЕРУЧИЦЫ ПРЕСВТЫЯ БЦЫ" — "The Three-Handed Mother of God").The piece is entirely embellished with a monumental riza of silvered and gilded metal, a work of exquisite late 19th-century craftsmanship, intricately fashioned using repoussé, chasing, and punching techniques. With remarkable sculptural virtuosity, the metalwork defines the dense folds of the Virgin’s maphorion (mantle) and the Child’s garments, which are adorned throughout with polished and satin-finished geometric and floral motifs. The splendor of the object culminates in its imposing, openwork halos (nimbi), decorated with gilded filigree in the form of Neo-Byzantine foliate scrolls and further enriched by the inclusion of cabochon-cut hardstones and glass pastes in shades of green and blue. The broad, embossed perimeter border features elaborate scrollwork frames and geometric rosettes; it is interrupted along the two vertical sides by four small, medallion-like compartments, each containing a relief-chiseled full-length figure of a patron saint or protector associated with those who commissioned the work. Beneath the metal cladding, the visible anatomical features of the Virgin and Child—their faces and hands—emerge through openings (known as podolozhnik), revealing a meticulous painting technique characterized by dark, hieratic flesh tones (sankir) of great expressive intensity and profound spirituality.