Mother of God icon

[Clydester2]

I reccently saw an icon of the Mother of God holding the baby Jesus, and on her cheek was a bleeding gash. What is the meaning of this wound?
Thank you.

[尼古拉前执事]

Dear Clyde,

The icon was struck by an invader in the Church it was housed in and bled. This is probably "Our Lady of the Portal".

[GOCPriestMark]

In photos of the original the dried blood is still visible:
Portaitissa Icon

[The Apostate]

It could also be the Black Madonna. If so, I don't know the story behind the wound.

[joasia]

Clydester2

Was she holding him on her left side or her right side? Was it a Byzantine style icon?

For many here, who are not aware of it...there is an icon of the Theotokos in Poland. She is in the city of Czestochowa(pronounced...Chenstohova). She is the black Modanna. It is said that this icon was 1 of the 2 icons painted by St. Luke. At one time, the Polish people were Orthodox, but then the pope of Rome enforced his will on the clergy, with death threats and blood shed and they eventually caved in. If I may ask the moderators...could you post her icon in your gallery;the one without the silver cover? I would really appreciate it. Thank you.

Joanna, a Pole by birth, but an Orthodox at heart.

http://thesilvericon.com/SilverIconCatCzestochowa.sht
http://www.iconsexplained.com/iec/00016.htm
http://www.geocities.com/c_brundage/czestochowa.htm
http://campus.udayton.edu/mary//meditat ... czest.html

[Clydester2]

Here is a link to the exact icon I was referring to:
http://www.christianart.com.au/prod53.htm
Thank you all for your help in answering my question!

[GOCPriestMark]

Here is a link to the exact icon I was referring to:
http://www.christianart.com.au/prod53.htm
Thank you all for your help in answering my question!

Now we know. That's a recent copy of the one Deacon Nikolai referred to and the original is shown in the link I gave above.