Our Lady of Alaska
The icon that comes to visit St. Matthew’s was written (icons are “written”, not painted) by Master Iconographer Sherry V. Lynch and presented to the Episcopal Church in Alaska at the Diocesan Convention in Anchorage in October 2009. The image, a joint project of the artist and her husband Ron Ridnour of LaCenter, Washington (who prepared the 16 ¾” X 26” wooden support), is called “Our Lady of Alaska” and incorporates traditional SouthEast Alaskan Native symbols into its traditional design of Mary and the Christ Child. Below, the artist explains the symbolism.
The panel shows the Madonna seated on the bench of a plank house, holding her young son on her lap. The background and seat are ornamented with a priceless Chilkat blanket, and a traditional Northwest Coast button blanket. The Madonna is painted in traditional iconographic fashion, wearing a red “maphorion” or cloak, ornamented with gold stars on her forehead and each shoulder – representing her virginity before, during, and after the birth of Christ.
The upper part of the background of the icon is covered in copper metal leaf, representing the early contact between Europeans and the Native cultures of Alaska. The golden halo of the Mother supports a rendering of an eagle and a raven, the two halves (or moieties) of the Tlingit Nation, supporting the sun in their beaks. A bentwood box serves as the Madonna’s footstool, and represents the designs of Raven and Eagle. A carving of the Full Moon, derived from a traditional frontlet headdress of the inland Tlingit, is centered between the images of Eagle and Raven.
The Christ Child is shown in full festival regalia. He wears a traditional woven Chilkat dancing tunic, and red cedar bark necklace symbolizing His elevated statrus. Three heads derived from Chilkat weaving symbolize the Trinity, and are surrounded by winged heads done in Chilkat style.These are included because of their similarity to those of classical icons, representing the cherubim and seraphim which surround the throne of God. In His right hand, the Christ Child holds a silver Alaskan confirmation cross (which is also on the back of the icon). In His left hand, he holds the scroll of the OldTestament, indicating that all the prophecies of the Old Testament are realized in the Holy Child.
In all icons, the Christ is the only personage wearing the so-called “Cruciform nimbus”. The Cross within the halo is often described with a word translated as “Being”. Sometimes the cross arms are inscribed with ornaments or gems. In this icon, the Child’s halo is ornamented with 3 gems – roundels of mother-of-pearl used traditionally in Nortwest Coast art.
The four raised corners of the icon are renditions of symbols of the 4 Evangelists - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. On the side of Christ’s head are the Greek letters abbreviating the Greek words for “Jesus Christ”. On the side of the head of the Virgin, are the Greek characters that, in abbreviation, denote "Holy Mary" and "Mother of God"
