The Tikhvin Mother of God arose in 15th century Russia as a variant of the more formal ‘Smolensk’ Mother of God which, in its turn, derived from the 10th century...
The Tikhvin Mother of
God arose in 15th century Russia as a variant of the more formal
‘Smolensk’ Mother of God which, in its turn, derived from the 10th century
Byzantine prototype known as ‘Hodegetria’.
Like the Hodegetria (meaning ‘she who shows the way’) the Mother of God
directs our attention towards Christ by the gesture of her right hand.
The chrysography
which means ‘writing in gold’ and denotes the
elaborate gold decoration of icons, which enhances the sense of the inner light
that emanates from the icon.