Early 20th century enamel

Enamel from the beginning of the 20th century.
"Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord".
Russian iconography.
Wood frame with enameled metal side decorations.
Signed with initials M.O. in the lower right corner.
It does not preserve two of the lateral ornaments of the frame.
Measurements: 8 x 6.5 cm; 12 x 10.5 cm (frame).

The icons cannot be compared with other works of art in the usual sense of the word. They are not paintings, because they do not reproduce motifs of reality; they do not represent, but constitute in themselves another world. And they do so with special means of representation, developed over the centuries. In them, color plays a significant role, that of a symbolic language that must express not the color of things, but their luminosity, a light that comes from beyond the physical world. The golden spaces of the icons embody this non-terrestrial light, and the golden background symbolizes the space that is "not of this world". In the icons there is no usual space, just as there are no conventional events. The icon is an open window to a world of another nature, but this window opens only for those who possess a spiritual vision.