Name/Title
S006e St Nicholas BrassEntry/Object ID
204 Description
1. Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker
Title: Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra
Date: 18th century
Origin: Northern Russia, Old Believer workshop (traditionally associated with the Vyg community)
Medium: Cast brass (copper alloy)
Dimensions: approx. 8 × 10 in. (20.3 × 25.4 cm)
Technique: Mold-cast in high relief; flat, unfinished reverse
Description:
Large-format cast brass icon depicting Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, shown frontally as a hierarch. The saint raises his right hand in blessing while holding an open Gospel book in his left. He wears episcopal vestments with a prominently rendered omophorion, identifying him as Bishop of Myra. In the upper corners appear Christ (presenting the Gospel) and the Theotokos (presenting the omophorion), referencing the traditional vision associated with the First Council of Nicaea. The field is densely ornamented with vegetal and floral relief, framed by a richly patterned border. Inscriptions are rendered in Church Slavonic.
Remarks:
Icons of Saint Nicholas in cast metal were especially favored among Old Believers for domestic devotion. The scale, density of ornament, and clarity of casting indicate a serious devotional object rather than a pilgrimage token. The icon reflects conservative pre-Nikonian iconography and high technical standards characteristic of northern Old Believer production.