Show all images on one page	#002573 Title: St. Ponteleimon Artist: Shirokova Anastasiya Size: 20x12x4.5 Size (inches): 8x4.75x1.75 Price : $550 SOLD!

This box featuring the icon of St. Panteleimon is a splendid creation of Mstera painter Anastasya Shirokova, who is the daughter of the prominent Mstera master Anatoly Shirokov.
The name "Panteleimon" means "all-merciful". He was born about 284 A.D. in the city of Nicomedia in the family of a Christian mother and a pagan father, and studied medicine as a young man. A priest, Hermolaus, discipled him in the faith and baptized him. The pagan doctors denounced Panteleimon as a Christian after he healed a blind man by calling on the Name of Christ. He was brought before Emperor Maximian, but it is said: "He stood before the earthly ruler in the body, but in his mind he stood before the heavenly King." He openly confessed to being a Christian and healed a paralytic right there in the court. The Emperor had him tortured repeatedly, but the Lord would always appear and heal him immediately. Then three others were put to death: St. Hermolaus, Hermippus & Hermocrates; and Panteleimon was to be next. So he knelt in prayer. The executioner tried to behead him with his sword, but it broke on the saint's neck as if made of wax. When Panteleimon was done his prayers, he gave the word to the executioner, who then beheaded him. An olive tree next to the spot became laden with fruit. St. Panteleimon's body remained uncorrupt. He reposed on July 27th, 304. In the Middle Ages, he came to be regarded as the patron saint of physicians and midwives. Numerous churches, shrines, and monasteries have been named for St. Panteleimon.
The icon is painted in bright tempera paints with addition of gold paints to create the halo around the saint's head and numerous folds on his attire.
The icon is framed with unique patterns drawn in blue, green, white and red tempera paints against the gold background. The same ornamentation can be found wrapping around the box's sides. At the bottom the artist wrote Mstera, and her name along with the prayer for St. Panteleimon's intercession: "O, Holy Healer Panteleimon, intercede with our merciful God that He may grant to our souls the forgiveness of our sins."
The box is constructed from paper-mache. Black lacquer is used to paint the exterior of the box while red lacquer completes the interior of the work. The lid is hinged at the left, and the box rests on four legs.