Devotional Icon
Unknown Artist
19th century
Medium
Copper alloy, surrey enamel
Dimensions
Overall: 13 1/4 x 6 1/4 x 3/8 in. (33.7 x 15.9 x 1 cm)
Classification
Enamels-Surrey
Culture
Russian
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Percy Stickney Grant, 1918
Accession Number
18.88
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite 19th-century Russian devotional icon, crafted from copper alloy and surrey enamel, captures a poignant Crucifixion scene surrounded by angels, men, and women. Measuring 13¼ × 6¼ × ⅜ inches, its flat, rectangular form was designed for personal devotion, likely venerated in a home or small chapel. The vibrant enamels—fired powdered glass fused to the metal base—lend a luminous, jewel-like quality, making the sacred figures glow with otherworldly presence. In Russian Orthodox tradition, icons like this served as "windows to heaven," bridging the earthly and divine. Produced during...