Icon - Christ Pantocrator - Oak - Hand-painted

Beautiful ancient hand-painted Orthodox icon on a single-piece wooden panel, depicting Saint John the Baptist (sometimes called Saint John the Forerunner).
The saint is portrayed according to the strict codes of oriental ikonography, bearing ascetic features, a gaze of great spiritual depth, long hair and a finely drawn forked beard. Beneath the patina one can discern his traditional camel-hair tunic. At the bottom of the panel, traces of traditional motifs (evoking possibly the martyr’s chalice or the axe at the foot of the tree) remain visible despite the passage of time.
Features and condition:
Era: 20th century
Support: Raw original wooden panel with a central knot on the reverse. The wood is naturally darkened by the years and by devotional smoke.
Attachment: Original forged iron nail, firmly anchored on the top edge.
Condition: An authentic piece “in its original state,” never restored. The pictorial layer (on a gesso/levka-based ground) shows a beautiful network of natural age craquelure. Some losses of coating are visible, mainly along the outer borders and the upper corners. The old protective varnish (olifa) has darkened with time, giving the piece a dark, mystical patina and undeniable authenticity. A few traces of original inscriptions (in Cyrillic or Greek characters) remain in the upper corners.
An ideal collectible for lovers of sacred art, religious antiques, or authentic folk devotion objects.