Icon - Mother of God - Wood

Virgin of the Sign (in Russian, «Знамение» – Znamenie), one of the most important Marian advocations in Orthodox tradition.
The Virgin Mary appears facing forward, holding the Child Jesus on her left arm.
In the center of her chest is depicted a circular medallion with Christ Emmanuel, symbolizing the Incarnation, that is, the Son of God took flesh in the womb of Mary. Although in this variant Christ appears inside the circle in an unusual position, the meaning remains the same.
Both the Virgin and the Child wear crowns, a common detail in numerous Russian icons of the 18th and 19th centuries, influenced by Western art.
The golden background indicates divine glory.

At the top one can read
«Знамение Пресвятыя Богородицы»

which means:

"The Virgin Most Holy of the Sign".

From the style of the painting, the proportions of the figures, the crowns and the technique, this icon corresponds to:

Russian School.
Late 18th century or the first half of the 19th century.
Egg tempera on panel with a gold ground.