Description
Our Lady Pneumatophora icon, Mary bearing the Spirit
Mary is shown with the Greek abbreviation MP ??, meaning Mother of God, and with the traditional stars of virginity on her blue mantle. Her crossed arms shelter a white dove, the biblical sign used for the Holy Spirit at Christ's baptism. Pneumatophora means bearer of the Spirit. This is a contemporary devotional composition using Byzantine visual language, not one of the ancient standardized Marian icon types.
The title is read in light of the Annunciation, when the Holy Spirit came upon Mary, and Pentecost, when she prayed with the apostles before the Spirit's descent. The image does not imply that Mary controls or replaces the Holy Spirit; it presents her as the faithful person who receives God's action and points the Church toward openness to grace. It is especially suited to prayer for discernment, vocation, confirmation preparation, catechesis, and Christian unity.
Art Christiana makes this icon in Poland on a carefully prepared linden wood board. The surface receives two primer coats, hand-applied metal leaf, and a directly transferred image. A certificate and hanging fixture are fitted on the reverse, and the icon arrives in a protective presentation box.