Sunday, June 23, 2013

GREAT FEASTS Icons

The church helps its members recall the life of Jesus Christ by celebrating events of his life and ministry each year. These events unveiled some of God's character - His love and His holiness - and His activity in our world.

There is a specific type of multi-scene icon that presents an assortment of these holy daysfestivals or feasts on a single board (or casting). The selection of feasts and their arrangement may vary from icon to icon, but the norm is to show 12 or 16 scenes.

Of the normal dozen events portrayed on a feast icon, six focus on Jesus: Nativity, Presentation in the Temple (Candlemas), Epiphany (Baptism), Transfiguration, Entry into Jerusalem, Ascension. Four center around Mary: Birth, Presentation in the Temple, Annunciation, Dormition (Assumption). The final two are Pentecost (Coming of the Holy Spirit) and the Elevation of the Cross.

Feast icons may have other scenes as well, including the Women with Spices at the Tomb, the Crucifixion, the Descent into Hades, the Raising of Lazarus, Lowering Christ from the Cross, the Last Supper, the Old Testament Trinity, and so on.

Here are some of my feast icons. The first one, a cast metal icon, contains all the principal feasts plus a few extra images of Mary on the far right panel. I have named each of the scenes at the bottom to help you decipher this icon. [Click on any image to enlarge it]


The next icon has an embossed and perforated copper cover which shields all the images, leaving only faces, hands and bare feet showing through. It was customary to paint the icon on a board, and then make a cover that enhanced and glorified the icon. This icon was done in a way that saved the iconographer a lot of work. He just did an outline of the whole scene but painted the exposed areas in detail. Look at the two images to see what I mean.


Only the barest outline drawing was done on the board. The mystery and miracle of this icon is that the gilded faces fit the openings in the cover perfectly. So which was done first, the icon or the cover? It seems to have been a near-impossible task no matter in what order it was completed.


This is a Palekh (a village renowned for lacquer boxes) festival icon. The Four Evangelists are at the outer corners. On the inside, starting from the top left and going clockwise, we have the Birth of Mary, the Presentation of Mary, the Annunciation, the Nativity of Jesus, the Baptism, the Transfiguration, the Dormition of Mary, the Exaltation of the Cross, the Old Testament Trinity, the Ascension, Entering into Jerusalem, and the Presentation of Jesus to Simeon. In the center is another multi-scene icon known as the Resurrection and Judgement. It shows various events that occurred during Jesus' passion and resurrection. For example, the resurrected Jesus walks along the shoreline and tells the disciples to fish on the other side of the boat. After they catch a bunch of fish, Peter recognizes him, and jumps into the water (bottom right).


And here is one from the Ural Mountains region of Russia. Let's look at the scenes individually.


The birth or nativity of Mary


the Presentation of Mary in the Temple


The Annunciation (Gabriel speaking to Mary; there is some minor damage to this scene)


The Nativity of Christ and also the Visitation of the Wise Men


The Presentation of Christ in the Temple


The Baptism and Epiphany


Entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday


The Transfiguration of Jesus and his meeting with Elijah and Moses


Pentecost (Holy Spirit coming upon the Apostles and Mary)


The Old Testament Trinity (visit of 3 angelic beings to Abram and Sarah at the oak of Mamre)


The Dormition (falling asleep) or Assumption (being carried up) of Mary


The Exaltation of the True Cross


The Resurrection of Jesus
(notice Peter again, coming out of the lake)


Christ Glorified in the Highest Heavens


This tiny scene is repeated in much larger scale and detail on another icon we own: