‘Troeruchitsa’ is a miraculous icon of the Mother of God, revered in Orthodox Christianity, distinguished by the depiction of a third hand. She is considered a patroness who protects against misfortune. The icon belongs to the Virgin Hodegetria (One of the major types of the Madonna in Byzantine art showing a standing Virgin holding the Child on her left arm) type, the prototype of which is located in the Hilandar Monastery on Mount Athos.
In the 9th century, during the iconoclastic period, the Reverend John of Damascus († c. 780; commemorated on 4 December) was slandered by Emperor Leo III Isaurian (717–740) before the Caliph of Damascus for treason because of his zealous veneration of holy icons. The Caliph ordered the saint’s hand to be cut off and hung in the market. In the evening, St. John asked the Caliph for his severed hand, applied it to the joint, and fell prostrate before the icon of the Mother of God. The saint asked the Mother of God to heal the hand that had written in defence of Orthodoxy. After a long prayer, he fell asleep and saw in a dream that the Most Holy Mother was speaking to him, promising a speedy recovery. At the same time, the Mother of God ordered him to work diligently with this hand. When he awoke from his sleep, the reverend John saw that his hand was unharmed. In gratitude for his healing, the saint placed a silver hand on the icon, which then became part of the iconography, which is why the icon was named ‘Troeruchitsa’ (Three-Handed).
The Troeruchitsa icon is one of the most revered shrines in the Orthodox world.
TITLE: Icon of the Mother of God ‘Troeruchitsa’
YEAR: 2025
ARTWORK TYPE: Original Art/One of a kind
DIMENSIONS: 24х30х3,5 cm
TECHNIQUES: Tempera
RELATED THEMES: Religious art, Christian art
SUPPORT OR SURFACE: Wood
FRAMING: No
CATALOGUE N: Kovalska147