Description
In this icon, the Archangel Gabriel announces to the Virgin St. Mary that she will bear the incarnate God, fulfilling the prophecy spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6).
Gabriel is portrayed as a deacon in service, stepping forward to deliver his divine message both to Mary and to the viewer: “Hail to you, full of grace, the Lord is with you.” In his hand, he carries an olive branch, symbolizing peace, and a clipeus (a round shield or medallion) inscribed in Coptic with “ⲡⲓⲁⲣⲭⲏ ⲁⲅ̅ⲥ̅ ⲅⲃ̅ⲗ̅”—meaning “the Archangel Gabriel.”
On St. Mary’s side, we again see the Greek letters “ΜΡ ΘΥ,” an abbreviation for Μήτηρ Θεού—Mother of God. Beneath her, a bowl of scarlet yarn rests at her feet, a detail that tells the viewer she was spinning thread for the temple veil at the time of the Annunciation—a tradition rooted in early Christian writings.
Mary is depicted beneath a domed building, symbolizing the Church. She herself is the Church, for she bears the Body of Christ within her. As St. Gregory of Narek beautifully declares, “If one were to write that the Theotokos is the icon of the Church, one would not be unjustified.”
Interesting Fact
In the icon, Mary holds a spindle with crimson thread, symbolizing her role in weaving the temple curtain—pointing to Christ’s Incarnation.
Citations
Coptic Icon. “the iconostasis.” CopticIcon.net, https://www.copticicon.com/iconostasis. Holy Cross Coptic Orthodox Church. “Explaining the Iconostasis and Apse of Holy Cross w/ Fadi Mikhail of UK CopticIcons.” YouTube, 24 Nov. 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgWU5xrgmn0