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Icon of the Mandylion of Edessa ICXC – Metallic Print Shirt
The ‘Story of the Image of Edessa’, as recounted in the tenth century, tells of the moment in which Christ’s likeness becomes imprinted upon a towel, which he had used to wash and dry his face. This miraculous image became known as the Mandylion (which translates in Byzantine Greek as ‘small cloth’ or ‘towel’) and was the most famous image of Christ ‘not made by human hands’ from the sixth to the early thirteenth century. A depiction of the Mandylion is found in the centre of this painting.
This painting is an ‘icon’, which comes from the Greek word eikon, meaning likeness or image. Although it can mean many different things, broadly speaking, in the eastern Byzantine and Orthodox Christian traditions, icons such as this were used in devotion and rituals, believed to afford the viewer direct communication with the sacred figures represented.
Around the edge of the panel is the legend of the Mandylion, as recounted in tenth century, illustrated in ten rectangular scenes and accompanied by Greek inscriptions. They draw from the ‘Story of the Image of Edessa’, written after the Mandylion was transferred to Constantinople (now Istanbul) from the city of Edessa (now Urfa, in Turkey) in 944 AD. The first five scenes, which run clock-wise from the top left-hand corner, tell of the King of Edessa – Abgar – who was afflicted with leprosy and arthritis. In the first scene, he asks his servant Ananias to take a letter to Christ, asking Jesus to come to Edessa in order to heal him. If the letter is not successful then Ananias is to instead make a drawing of Christ. Next, Ananias tries but is unable to draw Christ. Christ then declines Abgar’s invitation but sends a letter promising that the king will be healed. In the third and fourth episodes, Christ washes and dries his face, whereby his likeness is miraculously imprinted upon the cloth. In the fifth scene, Ananius presents the letter and the cloth bearing the image of Christ to the king, who is healed and converts. The remaining scenes, which work downwards in the left border, show King Abgar destroying an idol at Edessa’s city gate, and replacing it with the Mandylion.
The final episodes show the Mandylion being rediscovered in the sixth century. The story recounts how it had been hidden by a tile, and remained hidden until the Persians invaded the city. Instructed by a vision, the Bishop of Edessa found the Mandylion hidden with a lamp still burning. The icon was so powerful that it had even engraved another likeness of the image onto the tile that had been covering it. The Bishop can be seen pouring burning oil from the lamp onto the Persians to stop their invasion. The last scene shows the journey of the Mandylion from Edessa to Constantinople in 944 AD.
This premium T-shirt is as close to perfect as can be. It’s optimized for all types of print and will quickly become your favorite T-shirt. Soft, comfortable and durable, this is a definite must-own.
- Brand: Spreadshirt | Product ID: 812
- 100% cotton (heather gray and heather ice blue are 95% cotton /5% viscose. Heather blue & charcoal gray are 80% cotton/20% polyester. Heather burgundy is 60% cotton/40% polyester. Heather oatmeal is 99% cotton/1% viscose) | Fabric Weight: 4.42 oz (lightweight)
- Wide range of sizes from S-5XL
- Fairly produced, certified and triple audited.
- Double stitched, reinforced seams at shoulder, sleeve, collar and waist
- Optimized for beautiful brilliance across all printing methods
- Imported; processed and printed in the U.S.A.