Theotokos Panagia Portaitissa Icon

This icon reprises the Byzantine prototype of the Mother of God Portaïtissa, celebrated in Athonite tradition for its protective grace over monastic gates. The composition follows an hieratic typology inherited from Palaiologan art, where the dialogue between precious metal and the tempered chromatic modeling of the faces lends the work a distinct liturgical authority.

The riza, produced through electroforming and subsequently silver-plated, frames the iconographic field with a vegetal-geometric ornamental register characteristic of the 14th–15th centuries. Its finely sculpted reliefs not only shield the painted surface but also amplify the luminous effect typical of sacred objects, inviting the viewer into a state of contemplative stillness.

The faces of the Mother and Child are rendered in oil, allowing for supple tonal gradations and depth of expression that evoke the great tradition of Cretan masters. Warm pigments, transparent overlays, and subtle volume modeling revive the ethos of the “living icon,” where materiality is transfigured into sacramental sign.

The entire ensemble is enclosed within a toned oak frame, set into a vitrified case with discreet hinges reminiscent of the protective lids of post-Byzantine reliquaries. The oak, with its dense grain and deep patina, reinforces the perception of a durable liturgical object — suitable both for private veneration and museum-level display.

Measuring 24 cm × 29 cm (9.4 in × 11.4 in), the icon assumes an intimate format appropriate for sacred-art collections or private devotional spaces. Through its fusion of modern electroforming technology and the canonical vocation of the iconographer, the piece reaffirms the continuity of Byzantine tradition within contemporary artistic production, endowing it with both aesthetic and theological significance.