Icon Case

Icon case is a special frame or box created for storing and displaying Orthodox icons. Icon cases are often made of wood, covered with carving, gold leaf, or decorated with inlays of silver, porcelain, and precious stones. Surprisingly, in the 17th–19th centuries, the making of icon cases became a true art: masters integrated pastoral scenes, created hidden compartments for relics, or used mirrored surfaces to enhance the shine.

Museum collections have preserved bright icon cases with unusual mechanisms: for example, some could automatically open during the service! Currently, original icon cases are rare at auctions and are highly valued not only by collectors of church art but also by designers inspired by their ornamentation and form.