Icon - John the Baptist - Eggtempera on levkas on a panel

Central Russian icon depicting Saint John the Baptist. Mid 19th century. Saints in the border: left the Holy monk St John, left Saint Olga. Saint John is depicted as an ascetic prophet, holding a silver chalice with the Christ Child as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. The icon is painted on a silver ground in egg tempera paint on a solid linden wood panel. Most likely the icon has been given on the occasion of a wedding by the parents of the groom to a son named Johannes. The saints in the borders are most likely the patron saints of the donors. On the back of the icon an handwritten text in Old Church Slavic that possibly points to the occassion of the wedding of the groom John. The icon dates from circa 1875 and is in a remarkable good condition. Size 35,5 x 31 cm. The panel has two sponki to prevent bowing of the panel in the back.