A Russian Icon with silver oklad depicting Saint Nicola the Thaumaturge, Mosca 1853

Height x width x depth: 21.5 x 18.5 x 2.5 cm. Total weight: 562 g; weight without riza: 381 g.

tempera on panel with silver riza depicting Saint Nicholas of Bari in episcopal robes, holding the Gospel Book in his left hand and with his right hand making the blessing gesture, presented according to the typical depiction of the Russian Orthodox Church in the cult of the Saint. On his left is the icon of Jesus Christ and on his right that of the Virgin Mary. 
Saint Nicholas the Thaumaturge is the most beloved and revered saint of Russia and one of the most popular in Christianity. The exceptional cult is supported by a very rich hagiographic literature; from birth the saint observed the fasts imposed by Orthodox rule. It is said that he, while still an infant, stood perfectly upright. As an adult, having received a substantial inheritance from his parents, he distributed it to the poor. Particularly popular is the legend that a man, having fallen into poverty to the point of wanting to make meretricians of his three daughters, was saved by the saint who threw three bags containing gold out of his window.