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St. Nicholas

Painting
A small flat wood panel backed with deep red velvet topped with partial painting under silver plated riza. The painting clearly shows St. Nicholas as a man with dark brown eyes and a white beard, moustache, and hair. Greek initials appear on either side of him etched in the riza. The riza also gives St. Nicholas a miter crown , a closed book in his left hand, and another object in his right. The riza is tinged in gold and purple colors and features floral features in the four corners.

2005.02.007

Panel

Wood

Betsy Scheuring Icon Collection

2005.02

Betsy Scheuring

Gift

Gift of Betsy Scheuring

20th Century

Greece

Makers Mark

Repeated twice, top and bottom of riza

(Л?)oб, 3 digit number (808? 908? 948?)

Cyrillic

Possibly POB, silver quality

The exhibit booklet states the makers mark translation is JOB but this is inconsistent with the symbols shown. First letter may look like a "J" but that is not found in the Greek or Cyrillic alphabets; reassess. The last letter is definitely a Cyrillic б (more evident in the top inscription).

Icon

Symbol, Religious

Religious Objects

Ceremonial Objects

Category 08: Communication Objects

3-5/16 in

2-13/16 in

3/4 in

Spirit Made Tangible: The Scheuring Icon Collection (2006)

Cultural/Historical Context

For the biography of St. Nicholas, see 2005.02.066. The riza has an elaborate repoussé surface, and the cartouche in the frame has a floral pattern nicely complementing St. Nicholas’s facial features. He is dressed as a bishop and is making a benediction with one hand and holding a Bible with the other.

St. Nicholas picture number 1