Lot 142 - ANTIQUE RUSSIAN ICON ST. MICHAEL AND STEPHANIDA

An antique late 19th-century Russian Orthodox icon depicting Saint Michael the Archangel and Saint Stephanida blessed by Jesus Christ. Mixed media painting: egg tempera, gesso, and levkas on a wood board with kovcheg. Chased gold background. Each character is named in Church Slavonic. Handwritten inscription in Russian on the backside: Blessed on March 25, 1898, Married on April 12. In the Orthodox Church, there is a custom of blessing the marriage by the brides parents, usually by gifting an icon. Russian Religious Items and Antique Collectibles.