The Art of Devotion is now on display in the Bulmash Exhibition Hall in Chalmers Library!

Healing and Protection

How do ordinary objects in our lives come to possess extraordinary power? The objects on this page are icons that intertwine miracles and powerful devotion. Three of these items — the ring, the medallion, and the scroll — would have been used to heal the owner or shield them from harm. The ring and the medallion would have been worn by the user. The scroll could have been worn and read. The book describes a collection of icons that had worked miracles.

Considered together, these objects challenge the viewer to think about how powerful icons were a part of everyday Byzantine life. They are all of different materials and sizes, forcing us to consider what makes an image an icon. What imbues them with their powers? These objects also raise questions about production and reproduction. While three were created in large quantities, the scroll was produced in an elaborate and client-specific ritual. Can we value all of these objects equally as icons?

Athos: In the Shadow of Heaven; Stories about the Holy, Miracle-working, and Glorious Icons of the Theotokos and Other Saints on Athos

This delicate book examines different miracles performed by the powerful icons of saints at the monasteries of Mount Athos. The book’s images are reproductions of original icons that are used as conduits to the saints themselves. In representing copies of icons, the book allows readers to consider the subtle and complicated difference between an icon used for veneration, and reproductions used to teach and pass down stories of reverence. Can these paper copies be used for veneration, or does their replicability reduce their ability to perform miracles?

Healing Scroll

This scroll is a powerful document of spiritual healing and protection. It was made to protect a woman, her fertility, and her unborn child from evil forces. To make such a scroll, a local healer selects an animal based on astrological significance and uses their blood to bathe the client. The skin of the sacrificed animal is then used to create the parchment for the scroll. The scroll contains numerous pieces of scripture that were specifically selected to address the needs of the client. Images of talismans were drawn on the scroll to provide additional protective power. After the scroll had been carefully put together, the client put the scroll in a special box and wore it like a necklace.

Ring with Holy Rider Iconography

Protection and strength — these are the reasons someone would have worn this ring. The Holy Rider was a popular symbol in early Christian art. It was typically associated with Solomon and the ring given to him by God to ward off evil. This ring shows us the interplay between religion and mysticism, between faith and protection. It allows us to understand the way that belief was woven into everyday life.

Pendant With Holy Rider and Saint Thekla

This double-sided pendant is a demonstration of strength and security through faith in God. The icons and their inscriptions empower the pendant. The image of the Holy Rider, a popular early Christian iconography, promises to protect the wearer from evil, while that of Saint Thekla, a miracle-working saint, is surrounded by an inscription that asks to protect the wearer. Its durability is characteristic of its daily use.

The information on this page was provided by Abby Foster, Raya Kenney, Samantha Goldenson, and Sarah Hoffman.

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