Petite 19th C. Russian Icon - Simeon Verkhoturskii

**Originally Listed At $250**

Eastern Europe, Russia, ca. 19th century CE. Finely painted in egg tempera and gold leaf on wood a small icon depicting Simeon Verkhoturskii standing beside a river with his arms crossed appealing to Christ in the upper left corner. He was a 17th century nobleman who moved to Siberia to live as an itinerant miracle worker, although he did not become a monk. Instead he earned his living by repairing coats in the winter and fishing in the summer; hence, the flowing river to the left. Size: 4.25" W x 5.25" H (10.8 cm x 13.3 cm)

This icon most likely was kept in someone’s home. According to Jeanne Marie Warzeski, scholar and curator of the North Carolina Museum of History's "Windows into Heaven" exhibition, "In the early Byzantine Empire, the home became the primary base for the development of icon veneration. Throughout the ensuing centuries, icons continued to receive honor in homes and churches. To this day, many Orthodox Christians create for prayer and meditation in their home a krasny ugol, or “beautiful corner,” where family icons are placed. Guests entering a house customarily honor the icons in the corner by crossing themselves before the objects. An oil lamp is set near the icons and is lit daily, according to Orthodox tradition."

Icons (icon means "image" in Greek) are sacred objects within the Eastern Orthodox Christian tradition. Found in homes as well as churches, these painted images depict holy persons and saints as well as illustrate scenes from the Scriptures. Icons are not worshiped, but are instead venerated for their ability to focus the power of an individual's prayer to God. As a focus for prayers and meditation for believers, icons serve as “windows into heaven.”

Provenance: private Francis & Lilly Robicsek Collection, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, acquired second half of the 20th century

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#119562
Condition Report: Surface wear with slight losses and right side shows darker areas possibly from candle burning. Age cracks. Two pierce marks on verso.