Mother of the Light

This icon depicts Mary presenting the Christ Child to the viewer. The dome at the top consists of a blue arch, a middle row of leaves, and a sheet of gold with inlaid gems, and symbolizes the life of the Triune God. The shrine, represents the Kingdom in which dwell Mary and the Lord of heaven and earth. The Lady of paradise is dressed in a purple cloak, a color reserved for kings and queens, which suggests that she is the Mother of the King. Her red shoes, the footwear of Byzantine queens, notes that Mary is the mother of the Divine Lord. The Child holds a scroll of the eternal law for Christ is its fulfillment.

The Virgin and Child are a "Greek" style, yet the haloes, reveal significant Syriac features, namely:

• the 3 basic colors from which all others are derived
• no cross in the halo of Christ
• no initials for "Mother of God" in the Virgin's halo

The two peacocks, symbolizing eternal life, flank the shrine, since both figures are divinized in the realms of eternal glory.