The miraculous icon of Virgin Mary, known as "Theotokos of the Mirror", is kept in the Katholikon of the Holy Monastery of Saint Paul. It is not large in size and has suffered several damages over the years. However, it is considered one of the most important relics of the monastery, both for its unparalleled visual and stylistic clarity and for its particular history and origin. Besides, the damage is covered by a later silver frame, which is adorned with elaborate relief plumb lines, leaving only the highly expressive face of the Virgin Mary uncovered.
According to tradition, the icon belonged to the Empress Theodora, wife of Emperor Theophilus (829-842), one of the most cruel iconoclasts and persecutors of holy relics. It is said that the Empress had kept the icon behind the mirror in her chamber. She hid it there so that she could pray before the face of the Virgin Mary without being seen by her husband. When one of her maids saw her bowing before the mirror, she reported the incident to the Emperor Theophilus. Theodora claimed that she was not worshipping any idol except for her own face, which reflected her beauty in the mirror. After the emperor was convinced and the danger was over, Theodora secretly sent the icon to the Monastery of Saint Paul on Mount Athos in order to save it. In fact, even today the damage caused to the icon by the iconoclasts can be seen. It was miraculously saved until Saint Paul, the founder of the monastery, transferred it from Constantinople.
The face of the Holy Virgin is slightly tilted to the right. Her gaze is deep and sad, with subtle lines in the eyes and on the lips. The forehead, the straight line of the nose and the pronounced chin seem to intensify the sense of sadness. The three stars that were prominent in the original image are preserved in relief in the gold frame that adorns it. Leafy wavy lines with rich flowers adorn the outline of the icon, the halo and the crown of the Virgin.
As for the iconographic type, it is a rare version, as only the face is depicted. This type is still found in the 13th century icon of the Deesis, which is kept in the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. Finally, it is found in the icons of the Cretan school of the 15th-17th century, where the melancholic expression and the benevolent gaze of the Virgin Mother of Christ are perfectly depicted.
According to the tradition of the monks, the icon is brought out for veneration at the time of the Evensong, together with the holy relics that are placed around it.
