Icône de Saint Nicolas de Mojaïsk flanqué de Saint... Lot n° 10

Tempera and gold on wood. Russia, late 17th century. H. 32 x L. 27 cm. History The iconography of the saint represented in foot holding in his right hand a sword and in the other a model draws its origins from the miraculous deliverance of the city of Mojaïsk besieged by the Tartars in the XIVth century. St. Nicholas is said to have appeared in the sky, raising a glittering sword in one hand, ready to fall on the heads of the enemies, and a the city of Mojaïsk as a sign of his protection. Frightened by the apparition, the enemies fled and the inhabitants of the city carved in wood the image of their patron saint as a sign of eternal gratitude. Икона святого Николая Можайского в окружении святого Петра, митрополита Московского, и святой Екатерины. Золото, темпера. Россия, конец XVII века.