Newcomers to the world of icons might think that Orthodox believers worship Mary because she appears in so many of their icons. They say not. I agree.
Mary is venerated (respected, admired, honored) as the mother of Jesus (as a Protestant might say it) or the Virgin and Mother of God (which is more complex for us to understand).
Here she is, shown on her own in one icon of a set of three (called the Deesis), pointing to a Scripture text prophesying the appearance of Jesus:
Mary appears in many icons - perhaps as many (or more) as those in which Jesus appears. In most cases, Mary appears WITH Jesus. The rest of today's set of icons from my collection show Mary with Jesus, in a number of different poses and styles, eras, countries, color schemes, materials and theological perspectives. Have a look:
The following icon is from Russia. It has a kovcheg or recess in the center where Mary appears. Her halo reaches up over onto the border. This technique was only used in some areas and for a century or two, so it helps to identify the icon's origins.
This icon has an elaborate crown and detailed border work.
This icon came from a dealer in Lithuania. Its board is softer wood, much lighter than all the Russian icons, and the blue background is unusual - at least in my collection.
The following icon is of Greek origin. You can see a difference in the facial features and color tones.
This icon, called "The Unfading Rose" is also Greek. The style is noticeably different from the Russian pieces that we have.
This Greek triptych (3-paneled and hinged icon) is from about 1800 and is closer to folk art than the formal work above. It's on a thinner board but presents the same Biblical message as the Russian works. Here's the center image.
Finally, this icon is a copy of a Russian one that resides in Hong Kong. I painted it a couple months ago in an icon class. Notice that Jesus is a tiny version of a real person, standing surrounded by a device called a mandorla. This indicates he's acting in his eternal spiritual role as one of the Trinity, rather than as Mary's child.
The following two icons show Jesus in the mandorla in front of Mary. This type of icon is called the Virgin of the Sign - it does not intend to show that she is pregnant, but that God Almighty came down and through the miracle of the Incarnation, dwelt among humans as one of us.
Both of these icons are conveying the same concepts, and follow the same prototype (original design) but you can clearly see that they have differing styles of execution.
I'll come back later and expound on more details of each ... but for now just have a look at the variety. This is called the Non-Burning Bush. Its theological explanation is as complex as the imagery - with angels, evangelists, clouds and mysteries. So just enjoy it for now. This is my only 8-sided icon.
Here are some icons of Mary cast in brass:
