Virgin and Child (Hodegitria)

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Virgin and Child (Hodegitria)
Palestine; 6th c.

The Virgin is shown frontally, to below the shoulders. She is holding the Infant Christ in her left arm. Christ's right hand has two fingers raised in benediction, and He is holding a scroll (volumen legis) in His left hand. The Virgin is pointing at Christ with her right hand to turn the attention of souls to her Divine Son.

This type of icon is called Hodegitria - the one who shows the way - after the church in Hodegon in Constantinople where it was kept. According to legend, it was transferred to Kiev after the fall of Constantinople, and there came into possession of the Dimidov family. Princess Ksenia Dimidova moved to Berlin after the October Revolution, and sold the icon to the donor in 1926.