{"product_id":"byzantine-madonna-icon","title":"Byzantine Madonna Icon, Our Lady of Roses, Mary and Jesus Icon with Stand, 9 in New Attic no returns","description":"\u003ch2\u003eThe Unfading Rose: a Byzantine Madonna Icon in Relief\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis \u003cstrong\u003eByzantine Madonna icon\u003c\/strong\u003e shows Mary in a teal mantle patterned with raised flowers. Her green robe is edged in gold. A crown sits above her veil, framed by a gold halo.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe crowned Christ child stands beside her in a coral-pink robe and holds a scepter. Mary carries a spray of red roses. Two small angels in red and blue hover above, and a gold border frames the cream stone ground.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eProduct Details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaterial: Resin and stone with hand-painted color details\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFinish: Antique stone\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDimensions: 9 in H x 6.5 in W x 0.5 in D\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWeight: 2.6 lbs\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIncludes: Black stand and description card\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDisplay: Stand on a desk, or hang with the back bracket\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProduct number: R-018SP\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eReading the Inscriptions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe banner above Mary carries a Greek phrase, Rodon to Amaranton. It means the Unfading Rose. The words echo a hymn to Mary sung in the Orthodox Church.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThree small medallions name the sitters. The letters MP and TH Y abbreviate Mother of God. IC XC abbreviates Jesus Christ. Painters wrote these letters on every icon, because a holy image had to be named to be valid.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA scroll at the lower left holds more Greek text. The title \u003cstrong\u003eOur Lady of Roses\u003c\/strong\u003e is a Western name for this same Greek type.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhy a Rose That Never Fades\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this type, the rose stands for Mary herself. She is the flower that bloomed without withering, and her son is the fruit. Earlier icons often show Mary pointing toward Christ. Here she holds the blossom, and the child stands upright like a small emperor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe crowns, the scepter and the silver orb at Mary's breast are all signs of rule. The angels in the upper corners serve as court attendants.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSuch an \u003cstrong\u003eUnfading Rose icon\u003c\/strong\u003e rewards slow looking. Follow the red of the roses down to the child's robe. The two colors answer each other.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Byzantine Icon Tradition\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Council of Ephesus in 431 confirmed Mary as Theotokos, the God-bearer. Images of the \u003cstrong\u003eVirgin and Child icon\u003c\/strong\u003e then spread across the Byzantine world. After the long dispute over images ended in 843, painters kept to inherited patterns on purpose.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA familiar look was proof that an image was faithful. Greek painters later carried the Unfading Rose type into the post-Byzantine era, and Russian painters adopted it too.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhere to Place It\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt 9 in tall, this \u003cstrong\u003eByzantine Madonna icon\u003c\/strong\u003e suits a bedside table, a bookshelf or a quiet corner. The bracket on the back lets you hang it. See more sacred images in our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.museumize.com\/collections\/christianity-angels-crosses\"\u003eChristianity, Angels and Crosses collection\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKeep it out of direct sun, because strong light can fade painted color over time. The description card explains the image for guests who are new to icons.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFor More Reading from the Web\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSee how Byzantine devotion to the Mother of God took shape after Ephesus: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.metmuseum.org\/essays\/the-cult-of-the-virgin-mary-in-the-middle-ages\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eThe Cult of the Virgin Mary in the Middle Ages - The Metropolitan Museum of Art\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLearn why icon painters repeated established types on purpose: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/smarthistory.org\/?p=54951\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eSpotlight on the Virgin Hodegetria - Smarthistory\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRead how the Unfading Rose type draws on the hymns of the Akathist: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/catalog.obitel-minsk.com\/blog\/2019\/04\/the-unfading-bloom-icon-in-russian-and-greek-iconography\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eThe Unfading Bloom Icon in Russian and Greek Iconography - Obitel Minsk\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Ancient Treasures","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":1192721223,"sku":"R-018SP","price":13.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0615\/0537\/products\/R-018SP-mary-jesus-icon-1010-1.jpg?v=1777662357","url":"https:\/\/www.museumize.com\/products\/byzantine-madonna-icon","provider":"Museumize.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}