UK Coptic Icons
The Orthodox Icon
In the Orthodox church icons offer us the opportunity to see the unseen, just like the disciples Peter, James and John did when Christ was transfigured before them on Mount Tabor. In that moment they saw Christ as He truly was – fully divine as well as fully human. For a few beautiful moments they saw the world and its people with the eyes of the omnipotent God and were offered a glimpse into the spiritual world we cannot see with our human eyes.
When we are presented with the imagery in Orthodox icons, we too are invited into this opportunity; we see both the human and the resurrected bodies of the saints, shining with halos around their heads; we see their past struggles and martyrdom and we see their present deified bodies alive with God’s spirit, all in a single timeless glimpse. Therefore, when we surround ourselves with the imagery of the living saints, we continually remind ourselves not just of the rich history of past believers, but also of the fact that they continually stand around us, guiding us and praying for us.
The Iconostasis
As you enter the nave of an Orthodox church, in front of you stretches a vast wooden screen known as an Iconostasis, which translates to ‘carrier of icons’. Although its mighty structure might seem like a barrier between the congregation and the altar, it is actually far from it. The iconostasis should in fact be seen as a visual bridge between us and God the Father who, symbolically speaking, resides in the Holy of Holies. The main part of the church itself is called the Nave, which finds its origin in the word navis, the Latin word for ship. In this symbolic ship we the congregation travel much like Noah to our destination. While Noah's destination was still earthly, ours is the presence of the Father Himself in the holy of holies. Therefore, contained in the iconostasis are icons/images showing some of the people and history responsible for our salvation; our journey. Through the historical moments that the icons depict, the gap between us and the Father was bridged by Jesus. By that logic, one can say that the iconostasis is a symbol of Jesus himself who is ‘the door’ and ‘the way’.
Our collection of
Icon Prints-on-wood
All our prints are fine-art-quality prints that are mounted onto wood, hand-painted on the edges, bevelled and crystal (water-resistant) laminated. We have production studios in the UK, USA, Canada and Australia, so international delivery is never a problem. All icons are delivered in approximately 3-5 weeks.