Kurskaya Znamenie Mother of God, The

Name/Title

Kurskaya Znamenie Mother of God, The

Entry/Object ID

2005.02.103

Description

Small painting covered in a silver riza engraved with flower and vine motifs backed in purple silk. The icon features twelve painted faces. In the top center, God sits among the clouds with hands outstretched. Below him, Mary is shown from the waist up, with hands raised, in a veil and the small Christ is shown from the chest up beneath her. A Cyrillic caption is situated beneath their joint portrait. They are flanked by an assortment of bearded and non bearded saints, the two in the upper left and right corners have crowns etched in their halos.

Type of Painting

Panel

Artwork Details

Medium

Oil

Collection

Betsy Scheuring Icon Collection

Acquisition

Accession

2005.02

Source or Donor

Betsy Scheuring

Acquisition Method

Gift

Credit Line

Gift of Betsy Scheuring

Made/Created

Artist

Alekey Stephanov

Date made

1875 - 1900

Place

* Untyped Place

Moscow, Russia

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Type

Makers Mark

Location

Over the bottom ridge of the riza.

Transcription

AC, 84 and man on a horse

Language

Cyrillic

Translation

AS, 84, hallmark of Moscow

Lexicon

Nomenclature 4.0

Nomenclature Secondary Object Term

Icon

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

Symbol, Religious

Nomenclature Sub-Class

Religious Objects

Nomenclature Class

Ceremonial Objects

Nomenclature Category

Category 08: Communication Objects

Dimensions

Height

5-1/4 in

Width

4-3/8 in

Depth

5/8 in

Exhibition

Spirit Made Tangible: The Scheuring Icon Collection (2006)

Interpretative Labels

Label Type

Cultural/Historical Context

Label

This is a miniature copy of an icon that was said to have been discovered along the banks of the Tuskara River among the roots of a tree. This miraculous event took place in 1295, near the village of Ruilsk in Kursk Province. It shows a variant of the Znamenie Virgin in the center, raising her hands in the orant position with the Christ child in front of her, as God the Father hovers in the clouds above with his arms outstretched. Nine saints with haloes and scrolls ring the central figures. Each of the saints is surrounded by a circle of foliage. The silver riza has a narrow raised border and covers the entire panel except for the faces and hands of the figures. This example is precious and jewel-like. The faces are finely painted and the detail in the silver is extremely delicate.