Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
The Holy Face (Mandylion)
Ἅγιον Μανδύλιον
Нерукотворный образ
About This Icon
The Mandylion (from the Greek word for 'towel' or 'cloth') is an icon of Christ's face alone, depicted on a cloth. According to tradition, it was the first icon — created miraculously when Christ pressed a cloth to his face, leaving his image imprinted upon it.
This icon type is called 'not made by hands' (acheiropoieton) because it was not painted by a human artist. It served as a crucial argument in defense of icons during the iconoclastic controversies: if Christ himself created the first icon, then icon-making has divine sanction.
Symbolism & Iconographic Elements
The Cloth: The fabric behind Christ's face testifies to the miraculous origin of this image.
Face Only: Unlike other Christ icons, only the face appears — no hands, no gestures. This focuses entirely on the person of Christ.
