The image of the Mother of God which is known as the "Sign" dates to the fourth century. The icon took that name in Russia after the miraculous sign given by the Novgorod icon in the year 1170 when there had been a battle between Novgorod that was medieval Russian republic and Suzdal Duke Andrew Godlover in 1170. Highly revered Novgorod icon helped her city with a miracle. The feast is on 27 November (10 December).

This Icon is the precise copy of the “Sign” icon that was the family sanctity of the Russian Imperial house of Romanov’s. It was presented to Alexei Romanov, father of Peter the Great, by some Eastern Patriarch in the middle of the XVII century. Peter the Great blessed his daughter Elisabeth with this icon. Became the Empress Elisabeth transported this icon to the newly built Sign Church at the summer Imperial residence Tsarskoe Selo (1747). This Holy Image is still preserved there. Russian text at the bottom is the prayers to this icon.

The icon was painted by a modern professional church artist at the Russian town Rybinsk (not far from Moscow) that is one of the main and old centers of the Russian icon painting. It was painted with egg tempera on an old (at least 19 c.) wooden panel covered with levkas (gesso, special priming). The style is traditional and strictly follows the antique canons of the icon painting.

The icon is covered with the old chased metal (brass or tin or soft iron) oklad (riza, metal cover) that is dated from the second half of the 19 century.

This is so called "under oklad" icon and painting beneath oklad may be schematic if any.

Size = 10.6x8.9x0.8 (27x22.5x2 cm). Weight = 640 gr.

Certificate of the Ministry of Culture will be included into the shipping.

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