Russia, 19th century CE. A brass molded traveling icon that folds out into a triptych form. The cover shows the cross, with a skull beneath it, on the hill in front of a stylized city. The interior shows Mary, Jesus, and St John, all with fine detail and Cyrillic writing, in the classic Orthodox style. Size when opened: 7.75" W x 3" H (19.7 cm x 7.6 cm)

In order to support traveling priests on missions, bronze and brass religious objects were made that were small enough and light enough to be carried on long journeys through a difficult landscape. These became widespread in Russia in the 17th century, and are often mentioned in the 19th century writings of Pushkin and Chekhov.

Provenance: Ex-Private Orange County, CA collection acquired before 1980

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