Theotokos Holy Belt Icon

This icon of the Theotokos and her Holy Belt is hand-painted in the traditional egg tempera technique on a solid linden wood panel with a raised border, following the canons preserved by the Orthodox iconographic tradition. 24 karat gold leaf is applied by hand to the background, symbolizing the uncreated light of God surrounding the Mother of God, with fine hand-engraved ornamentation worked into the gold to bring added depth and radiance to her halo. The panel is finished with a glossy varnish for lasting protection and arrives with a certificate of authenticity, gift-ready for presentation in the home or for placement in a private icon corner.

Iconography and Symbolism
The Theotokos is shown alone, without the Christ Child, her hands raised in the ancient gesture of prayer known as the Orans, while she holds between her fingers the red sash that recalls her Holy Belt. The inscription “ΜΡ ΘΥ” abbreviates the Greek “Meter Theou,” Mother of God. The three stars upon her maphorion, at the forehead and shoulders, are the traditional sign of her virginity before, during, and after the birth of Christ.

According to Orthodox tradition, the Belt of the Theotokos was woven by her own hands from camel hair and was given by her to the Apostle Thomas at the time of her Dormition, as proof of her bodily assumption into heaven. The relic was later brought to Constantinople and enshrined, and a portion of it rests today at the Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos, where it is carried in procession to the sick and is especially venerated by women seeking the intercession of the Theotokos in childbirth and matters of family life. Icons of this type commemorate the relic and the Mother of God’s continuing intercession through it.

Feast Day
August 31 (Old Calendar) / September 13 (New Calendar) — the Placing of the Venerable Belt of the Theotokos.

Gift Suggestions
– A meaningful gift for expectant mothers or those hoping to conceive
– A fitting gift for name days honoring the Theotokos
– A comforting icon for those facing illness within the family
– A dignified addition to a home icon corner