18th Century Eastern Orthodox Tempera Icon

Antique tempera Icon depicting St. John the Baptist holding his own head, a reference to his execution by beheading. This came as a result of John publicly expressing his disapproval of Herod, then ruler of Galilee, divorcing his wife and unlawfully taking his sister-in-law as his second wife. A few other noteworthy inclusions are Christ and a rare depiction of God, who according to the Bible "heard the sound of words, but saw no form". St. John, being a messenger of God, also has a pair of angelic wings.This piece was created in the same manner as other similar pieces of the period. Icons such as these have been tempera painted onto architectural beams, supports, and other lumber that have been salvaged from crumbling buildings that dot the Grecian and Turkish coasts. This piece also features an embossed tin relief halo that surrounds St. John's head.Due to the nature of where the wood for this piece was salvaged from, it exhibits characteristic cracks and chips and should be handled