Collection Name : Holy Metropolis of Limnos and Ag. Eustratios
Dimension : 86,5Χ60,5Χ5,1
Description : Against an olive-green background, Virgin Mary is depicted in the type of Hodegetria. Her head is slightly inclined towards the Christ Child whom she holds in her left arm, while presenting him with her right. She is clad in a red maphorion richly ornamented with pleats and gold striations. Her cloak is embellished with hems around the borders and with a subtle rinceau in white color. Her maphorion is ornamented with the traditional tri-star motifs around the shoulders and the hat the top of the headdress. Her tunic is of a dark green color with an elaborated band around the neck. Her head leans towards the Christ child and her pictorial figure denotes sorrow and love. Christ Child is clad in a red colors cloak, same color as the Virgins one, also rich is subtle lineaments and pleats of a darker color. His body is turned towards his mother and with his left hand holds an open scroll, while his right is depicted in a blessing gesture. Virgin Mary bears an incised golden halo and the monogrammatic inscription: ΜΡ ΘΥ in gold majuscules flanks her shoulder. Christ Child halo, bring an almost indented outline and engulfed with the cruciform endings. Of particular interest is the hollowed out border which is painted in a contemporary manner with some freedom in the composition. The icon has close affinities closely related to the Cretan prototype. The iconographic style and stylistic decoration of the icon scheme can date the panel to the first half of the eighteenth century.
