Ancient bronze icon Descent into Hell, 18th century, 5.5x5.7 cm
Ancient bronze icon Descent into Hell, 18th century, 5.5x5.7 cm.This icon depicts a copy of the ''Descent into Hell'' iconographic theme. The use of travel icons became widespread between the 17th century and the early 20th century. The practicality linked to the small size made these icons ideal for situations such as travel, wars, daily work and for those who wanted to pray to the Saints in their own privacy. Travel icons had advantages such as modest weight, affordable cost, and ease of trans...
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Ancient bronze icon Descent into Hell, 18th century, 5.5x5.7 cm.This icon depicts a copy of the ''Descent into Hell'' iconographic theme. The use of travel icons became widespread between the 17th century and the early 20th century. The practicality linked to the small size made these icons ideal for situations such as travel, wars, daily work and for those who wanted to pray to the Saints in their own privacy. Travel icons had advantages such as modest weight, affordable cost, and ease of transportation compared to the wooden icon. The latter remained reserved for the wealthier social classes. The rapid diffusion comes precisely from the production technique of casting metals in molds. Initially they were made of copper and bronze, but later silver and brass were used. The artists managed to depict various themes starting from simple medieval crosses and bronze plaques. This travel icon is shipped in an elegant box together with an appraisal carried out by an icon expert..It measures 5.5x5.7 cm and dates back to the 17th century. It comes from Moscow.
