3 dimensional orthodox icon of Saint Demetrius of Thessaloniki.
This icon of Saint Demetrius is mounted on the wood in the way to make the icon look and have three dimensions. The image is mounted on a thin piece of wood and then mounted on a larger and thicker block of hand carved wood. Then we finished it with hand craft details and put a coat of resin for protection. This allows the icon that we used to stand out.
Usually we keep this type of icons in stock, but if we do not, we need 15 to 20 days to make it, because the varnish that we use has to dry well, before we'll sent out the icon.
Sizes are: 12" X 8" X 2"
Demetrius was born to pious Christian parents in Thessaloniki, Greece in 270. As a young man of senatorial family he was run through with spears in around 306 AD in Thessaloniki, during the Christian persecutions.
When Maximian returned from a certain war, he gathered the officers of Thessaloniki in order to offer a sacrifice to the idols. Then Saint Demetrius revealed that he was a Christian, and did not accept hewn stones as gods.
Maximian went into a rage and ordered that he be tried and imprisoned in a bath. While he was imprisoned, the mourning populace ran to hear Demetrius teach the word of Christ. A young lad, Nestor, also went every day and heard his teaching.
During those days, many brave men fought in the stadium and Maximian rejoiced at these spectacles. He even had a certain henchman Lyaeus, a beastly man, brass-knuckled, an idolator and blasphemer, who was brought from some barbarous nation. Nestor, seeing that Lyaeus had defeated all and boasted that he had the strength of Ares, the pagan god of war, and that no native dared wrestle with him, went to the prison and besought St. Demetrius to bless him to defeat and put to shame Lyaeus and Maximian and their religion.
Saint Demetrius prayed and made the sign of the Cross over him, and immediately Nestor ran to the stadium and wrestled with that fierce giant, he threw him down, and slew him. Maximian became beside himself with rage and upon learning that Nestor was a Christian and that St. Demetrius had blessed him, ordered the soldiers to have them both put to death.
The soldiers went to the bath and lanced St. Demetrius with their spears, and thus he received the eternal crown on the 26th of October, 296 A.D., at the age of thirty-six. It is written that when he saw the soldeirs thrusting their spears at him, he raised high his arm and they lanced him in the side, so that he might be deemed worthy to receive the lancing which Christ received in His side, and blood and water ran from the wound. Nestor was beheaded with his own sword the next day (holy Martyr Nestor of Thessaloniki is commemorated in the holy Orthodox Church on the 27th of October) outside the walls at the place of the Golden.
The Christians took the holy remains and buried them side by side, and from the grave of St. Demetrius there came forth holy myrrh which cured many diseases. For this reason he is called Myrovletes. Over his holy grave and the place of his holy martyrdom there was built a church in the form of a basilica which stands to this day.
