A riza ( Russian: риза, "vestment," "robe";

Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...

: шати, ''shaty'', "vestments") or oklad (оклад, "covered"), sometimes called a "revetment" in English, is a metal cover protecting an icon. It is usually made of gilt or silvered metal with repoussé work and is pierced to expose elements of the underlying painting. It is sometimes enameled,

filigree Filigree (also less commonly spelled ''filagree'', and formerly written ''filigrann'' or ''filigrene'') is a form of intricate metalwork used in jewellery and other small forms of metalwork. In jewellery, it is usually of gold and silver, ma ...

d, or set with artificial, semi-precious or even precious stones and pearls. Although the practice of using ''rizas'' originated in Byzantine art, the Russian term is often applied to Greek icons; in Greek the term is ''επένδυση'' ("coating"). Icons are described as ''επάργυρες'' or ''επίχρυσες'': silver-covered and gold-covered, respectively. The purpose of a ''riza'' is to honour and venerate an icon, and ultimately the figure depicted on it, such as Christ or a

saint In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...

. Because candles and

lampada An oil lamp is a lamp used to produce light continuously for a period of time using an oil-based fuel source. The use of oil lamps began thousands of years ago and continues to this day, although their use is less common in modern times. Th ...

s (oil lamps) are burned in front of icons, and incense is used during services, icons can become darkened over time. The ''riza'' helps protect the icon. Riza is often placed over highly-venerated icons, such as the

Panagia Ierosolymitissa The Panagia Ierosolymitissa icon () or the All-Holy Lady of Jerusalem icon of the Mother of God is an acheiropoieton located in the Tomb of Mary in Gethsemane in Jerusalem. The icon is considered by Orthodox Christians to be the patroness of Jer ...

icon in Jerusalem. A ''riza'' is designed specifically for the icon it is to cover. It leaves open spaces where the face, hands, and feet of the icon's subject can be seen. The haloes on ''rizas'' are often more elaborate than on the original icons. ''Rizas'' for icons of the ''

Theotokos ''Theotokos'' (Greek: ) is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern Christianity. The usual Latin translations are ''Dei Genitrix'' or ''Deipara'' (approximately "parent (fem.) of God"). Familiar English translations are " ...

'' ( Mother of God) often have a crown on them. The robes worn by the subjects often are adorned with pearls or jewels. Usually a ''riza'' covers the entire surface of the icon except for the face and hands. Especially in older examples, the riza may cover only the halo of the subject and is then called a ''venets''. Sometimes the ''riza'' includes a stylized '' torc'' or ''

gorget A gorget , from the French ' meaning throat, was a band of linen wrapped around a woman's neck and head in the medieval period or the lower part of a simple chaperon hood. The term later described a steel or leather collar to protect the thro ...

'' (neck ring), called a ''

tsata Tsata ( rus, цата, p=ˈtsatə) is a form of jewelry in the shape of a turned over crescent, typically made from gold or silver. It is placed at the bottom of a riza as a part of the icon decoration in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Tsata looks li ...

'' in Russian. Some icons, especially late Byzantine ones, were designed with a ''riza'' from their first painting. Only the areas not covered by the ''riza'' were painted.See the example at bottom right in the Ashmolean Museum catalogue link below

References

External links

"Oklad Cover for the Tikhvin Mother of God"
''Treasures of the Czars'',

Moscow Kremlin The Kremlin ( rus, Московский Кремль, r=Moskovskiy Kreml', p=ˈmɐˈskofskʲɪj krʲemlʲ, t=Moscow Kremlin) is a fortified complex in the center of Moscow founded by the Rurik dynasty. It is the best known of the kremlins (R ...

Museums, ''St. Petersburg Times'' {{commonscat Christian religious objects Eastern Orthodox icons Christian iconography Picture framing