Icon: Our Lady of Kazan

tempera, wood panel, chalk-and-plaster ground; embossed, silver-plated brass shell (with scuffs); 27 x 22.5 x 2.4 cm;
Russia, 19th century
This icon belongs to the Hodegetria type of Marian icons (from the Greek: “She Who Shows the Way”). In these depictions, the Mother of God is the Hodegetria, pointing with a gesture of her hand toward Jesus Christ as the Way to the Father. However, in the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, Mary is depicted in a half-length figure, without hands, her head shown in slight profile and tilted slightly toward the Child. In this icon, the Savior, depicted in full face, does not sit on the Mother’s hand but stands, as it were, on Her lap. The Child’s right hand is raised in a gesture of blessing. The Mother of God’s head is adorned with a crown, emphasizing her status as Queen of Heaven. The border features Rococo-style motifs: rocaille, acanthus, and a robe decorated with floral patterns.