The icon of the Beheading of the Head of John the Baptist of the Lord
One of the most ancient relics is the Beheaded Head of John the Baptist. Cut off by order of King Herod, she was buried secretly, separately from the body and was miraculously found three times by pious Christians. The day of the Beheading of the Head of John the Baptist is celebrated by the church as a holiday.
In honor of this event, temples were consecrated, in which carved wooden images of the Beheaded Head lying on a platter or in a bowl, made in full size, were revered. In iconography, the story of the Beheading of the Head of John the Baptist is most often found in the hagiographic icons of the saint. But the Yaroslavl icon "The Beheaded Head of John the Baptist" of the end of the XVII century is unique (Fig. 9). In the center of the composition is the Beheaded Head of John the Baptist lying in a golden bowl, to which an angel sent by the Savior flies with a crown in his hands.
In the corners of the icon there are four scenes from the life of the holy prophet John the Baptist: "The Gospel of Zechariah" about the birth of his son, "The Nativity of John the Baptist", "The Beheading of the Head of John the Baptist" and "The Finding of the Head of John the Baptist". The construction of the composition suggests that, having surrounded the image of the Truncated Chapter with hagiographic plots, the master does not represent the life of the saint, but the history of the relic.
It is known that the beheaded Head of John the Baptist on a golden platter is in one of the cathedrals of France.
The icon is made by printing on a wooden board. Paints are mineral, do not fade with time. The thickness of the board is 2 cm. The board is covered with primer by hand. The image is covered with wax. Each icon has a metal mount on the back side so that you can hang the icon on the wall.
You can buy the icon in three sizes:
- 13 х 10 centimeters (5,1 x 3,9 inches)
- 19 х 16 centimeters (7,5 x 6,3 inches)
- 26 х 21 centimeters (10,2 x 8,3 inches)
Our icons are made by Orthodox craftsmen. You can read more about the technology here.
We hope it will be a good gift for you and your loved ones.
