Pendant Icon with the Virgin "Dexiokratousa" and Frame with Winged Bull of Saint Luke on the back
Unknown Artist
pendant 1100s; frame mid-1300s
Medium
steatite, gilt silver, pearls
Dimensions
6.8 × 6.3 × 1.6 cm · chain: l. 13.6 cm
Classification
Glyptic
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Accession Number
1951.445
About this artwork
This small-scale Byzantine icon depicts a half-length figure of the Virgin holding the Christ child. When the icon was mounted in its present frame by a German artist in the 14th century, it was considered to be an authentic portrait painted by Saint Luke. This claim, made in an inscription on the frame, is further emphasized by the ox, Saint Luke’s symbol, engraved on the frame’s reverse.