Antique Russian icon Mother of God of Tikhvin, mid-19th century, 30.9x26.8 cm
Antique Russian icon depicting the Mother of God of Tikhvin, originating from Moscow, Russia, and datable to the mid-19th century. The work measures 30.9 x 26.8 cm and is created with egg tempera on wood prepared with levkas. The Mother of God of Tikhvin is one of the most venerated Marian images in the Russian Orthodox tradition. According to the chronicle, the icon appeared in 1383 near Novgorod and, after several apparitions, became associated with the locality of Tikhvin, where the Church of...
Info and features
Antique Russian icon depicting the Mother of God of Tikhvin, originating from Moscow, Russia, and datable to the mid-19th century. The work measures 30.9 x 26.8 cm and is created with egg tempera on wood prepared with levkas. The Mother of God of Tikhvin is one of the most venerated Marian images in the Russian Orthodox tradition. According to the chronicle, the icon appeared in 1383 near Novgorod and, after several apparitions, became associated with the locality of Tikhvin, where the Church of the Dormition and the Tikhvin Monastery were later established. Over the centuries the image was regarded as a symbol of protection and intercession. Tradition attributes to the Tikhvin Theotokos the defense of the monastery during the Swedish siege of 1613–1615, an episode that helped to increase her veneration.
Iconographically, the Mother of God of Tikhvin is close to the Hodegetria type, the "Guide": the Virgin supports the Christ Child and points to Him as the way to salvation. A distinctive feature of the Tikhvin icon is the gesture of Christ blessing His Mother with his right hand. The composition thus unites the theme of divine maternity with that of spiritual guidance, preserving the symbolic language typical of nineteenth‑century Russian iconography. The religious icon is accompanied by an expert's appraisal and a velvet presentation case, which complete its documentation and presentation.
Provenance: Moscow, Russia.
Period: mid-19th century.
Technique: egg tempera on wood prepared with levkas.
Materials: wood and levkas.
Dimensions: 30.9 x 26.8 cm.
Subject: Mother of God of Tikhvin.
Accompaniment: expert appraisal and velvet presentation case.