The front side of the pendant depicts the icon of the Abbess of Mount Athos. The reverse side has an image of Saint Pantaleon. The pendant is made of sterling silver with gilded edges.
The Abbess of Mount Athos
The icon of the Abbess of Mount Athos is considered to be one of the newest among the famous icons of Holy Mount Athos. It depicts the Mother of God full-length, with her arms outstretched in a gesture of blessing.
The icon was painted by Russian monks at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. Later on, our contemporary, the monk Arseny of the Belozerk cell on Mount Athos, added to it, depicting at the feet of the Mother of God all the monasteries of the Holy Mountain. The founders of the Athos monasteries were added along the perimeter of the icon.
Now the icon of the Abbess of Mount Athos is considered to be a symbol of the Holy Mountain. That is why her image is so often found in the handicrafts of the Athos monks.
Saint Pantaleon
Saint Panteleimon was born in Nicomedia under the name of Pantoleon. His father was a noble pagan and his mother, St. Eubula, was a Christian. His mother wanted to bring up her son in the Christian faith, but unfortunately she died early. So it was up to his father to educate the boy; he sent him to a pagan school, and then to the famous Nicodemian physician, in which science the young man has excelled.
In Nicomedia Pantoleon became acquainted with the presbyter Hermolaus, who introduced him to the Christian faith. After some time he has witnessed a miracle: Pantoleon saw a child killed by a snake bite, and started to pray to Jesus Christ; only by the power of that prayer he resurrected the child. After this miracle, Pantoleon was baptized with the name Panteleimon and devoted his life to the suffering and sick. On the denunciation of other physicians the saint fell foul of the emperor Maximian, who though he favored Panteleimon, was a pagan and an ardent opponent of Christianity. In order to force the saint into renouncing his faith, Panteleimon was subjected to many tortures, all of which he endured with Christian fortitude and humility. After this, in the year 305, the martyr was beheaded.
The Saint Panteleimon Monastery on Holy Mount Athos stores the main holy relic - the head of the Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon, as well as his icon, where the saint is depicted in full length, framed by 14 small images relating to scenes of his life. The monks believe that St. Panteleimon is the patron saint of Saint Panteleimon Monastery: twice he has miraculously saved it from devastating fires.
Characteristics
Dimensions: 2,5x1,5 cm
Width: 2,5 mm
Weight: ~6 gr
Material: sterling silver, gilding, rhinestones
