14/11/2006
The monstrance
The monstrance is a sacred vessel within which is preserved the pre sanctified Consecrated bread for the urgent needs of the faithful (situations with the ill, the terminally ill, etc.). On occasions they are constructed from previous materials such as gold or silver and on other from wood.
The fantasy of the wood sculptors and their creativity have resulted in the creation of exquisite monstrances liturgical vessels in the shape of a church, of a large or small size, in a more complex or simpler form, which have correspondingly mimicked monstrances from previous metal.
Many of these works have survived to the present day, such as at the church for the Repose of the Virgin Mary at Lower Bitsa, at the church of Aghios Nikolaos at Tsepelovo, as well as at other churches.
Their decoration was on occasions sculptured, like the other wood sculptured objects of the church and on occasions painted, with depictions of Christ on the Sacred Chalice, of Aghios Ioannis Chrysostom and of Megas Basileios, as for example at the monstrance for the church of Aghios Nikolaos at Kepoi of Zagorion.
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