This small, double-sided icon is known as a tabletka (plural tabletki). Tabletki are like “pages” of the liturgical calendar of the Eastern Orthodox Church (the Menologion), in which saints are illustrated in the order of the celebration dates of their feasts. Designed to be portable, tabletki are made of paint and gesso on linen instead of wood. Found almost exclusively in Russia, they were displayed on the feast day of the scene or saint depicted and kept in a drawer for safekeeping the rest of the year.
One side of this tabletka depicts three bishops identified by Slavonic inscriptions as “Saint Isaiah, Miracle Worker of Rostov; Saint Leontii, Miracle Worker of Rostov; and Saint Ignatii, Miracle Worker of Rostov.” The elongated proportions of the three patriarchs emphasize the splendor of their episcopal regalia. Ignatius and Isaiah wear white polystavria (meaning many crosses), which are outer garments woven or embroidered with a pattern of repeating crosses. These geometric patterns, along with the rectilinear ripple folds of the figures’ robes, add to the abstraction of the composition. The iconographer’s skill in precisely rendering this ornamental detail in miniature is matched by his sensitivity to color, as demonstrated by the lively, sometimes contrasting, relationships between the hues of the bishops’ garments.
The other side of the tabletka depicts the doubting of Saint Thomas with an inscription that reads: “Convincing of Thomas and Testing of the Ribs of Our Lord Jesus Christ.” The style and iconography of the scene conform in all aspects to a version depicted on an icon from the Cathedral Workshop of Novgorod, a center of icon-making in medieval Russia. The unremarkable character of this depiction suggests the hand of a workshop assistant, especially when compared with the skill demonstrated by the painter of the obverse.
