Podea () (plural: ) is a kind of

apron An apron is a garment worn over other clothing to cover the front of the body to protect from liquids. They have several purposes, most commonly as a functional accessory that protects clothes and skin from stains and marks. However, other typ ...

, that clearly designates a cloth hung at the foot of an

icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic Church, Catholic, and Lutheranism, Lutheran churches. The most common subjects include Jesus, Mary, mother of ...

Orthodox Church Orthodox Church may refer to: * Eastern Orthodox Church, the second-largest Christian church in the world * Oriental Orthodox Churches, a branch of Eastern Christianity * Orthodox Presbyterian Church, a confessional Presbyterian denomination loc ...

, which often accompanies it in religious processions. This hanging often is embroidered with religious scenes or figures of the saints and liturgical writing. The image on a podea might either double or complement the subject of the icon: an epigram by Nicholas Kallikles describes a podea for the icon of the

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

at the

Hodegon Monastery The Hodegon Monastery (also Monastery of the Panaghia Hodegetria or Monastery of the Hodegoi) in Constantinople was allegedly founded by Saint Pulcheria (399–453), a daughter of Emperor Arcadius. The monastery is considered one of the three m ...

as “an image of the image”. It is also known as , , and . Saint george pelena

Embroidered evolved into an essential supplement to the iconic image. It serves to create a sophisticated interaction with the icon, creating another level of perception of the icon; as such, it can serve to enrich, and/or develop on, the theme of the icon itself.

References

* ''Frolov A''. La «Podea»: un tissu décoratif de l’Eglise {{Not a typo, byzantine // Byzantion, 1938. T. 13. Fasc. 2. P. 461—504. * ''Woodfin W. T.'' Clothing the Icon: The Podea and Analogous Liturgical Textiles * ''Petrov A.'' Podea: the Embroidery Image under the Icon and Its Function in Byzantine and Medieval Russian Churches // Proceedings of the 21st International Congress of Byzantine Studies. London, 21–26 August 2006. Vol. III. London, 2006. P. 311-312.

External links

Ancient Russian Icon Podeas. XVth – XVIth centuries. Typology, Function, Iconography. Ph.D. Dissertation (in Russian)
Eastern Orthodox icons

See also

References

External links