Gorgeous authentic Russian icon, of several holiday scenes, meticulously depicting various aspects of the nativity. Beautifully painted in red and ocre with egg tempera, gold and silver leaf details, set on a gesso wood panel. Icons depict holy persons or scenes from Orthodox Christianity, the religion of the Byzantine Empire that is practiced today mainly in Greece and Russia. It was believed that these works acted as intermediaries between worshipers and the holy personages they depicted. Their pictorial language is stylized and primarily symbolic, rather than literal and narrative. Indeed, every attitude, pose, and color depicted in an icon has a precise meaning, and their painters (usually monks) followed prescribed models from iconographic manuals. Size: 21 x 17 1/2 in. Please note that all sales are final. No refunds will be given under any circumstances.