«Vladimir Mother of God»

Gold Enamel Icon Pendant

Materials:

gold, enamel.

№ 233/4

 Icon Pendant "Virgin Mary of Vladimir" is a wonderful intercession of Virgin Mary. The Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God is one of the most venerated relics of Orthodoxy. At various times the miracle-making icon protected the believers, thus the icon with the image of the Vladimir Mother of God is intended to be a protection, strengthening and relief.

Miniature icons were worn yet in Byzantium along with the pectoral crosses. They were richly adorned with gold, enamels and precious stones.

In Byzantium way this small icon is painted with hot cloisonne enamels as well. Virgin Mary's red kerchief symbolizes the suffering and the memory of the regal origin. Sign of the heavenly purity of one the most perfect persons – the blue garments. Baby Jesus is in the gilded clothing and it seems that the simple image comes to life with the jeweler's diligence. So streams a cloth with a thick guilloche, the lines, which are manually engraved by artisans on the icon before having embellished it with enamels.

So breathes the sky, manually lined with a thick engraving. The uniqueness of this miniature masterpiece is also in that the golden enamel barriers have engravings. This action, after all, takes place after the enamel is fired in the furnace and one careless movement can whittle down the long painstaking work.

Icon Pendant "Virgin Mary of Vladimir". Artisans of the Lobortas Classic Jewellery House have kept the type of icon-painting – Eleousa ("Tenderness"). Mother and Child reach out for each other with inestimable tenderness, and there are wisdom, forgiveness and humility in their eyes.