The icon depicts the moment where Satan, Lucifer, fell away from God (and drew a part of the angels with him). At this moment Archangel Michael stood up and cried out before the faithful angels:
Let us attend! Let us stand aright! Let us stand with fear!'' (Στώμεν καλώς, στώμεν μετά φοβου Θεού) and all of the faithful angelic heavenly hosts cried out: ``Holy! Holy! Holy! Lord God of Sabaoth! Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory!' (Άγιος, Άγιος, Άγιος Κύριος Σαβαώθ· πλήρης ο ουρανός και η γη της δόξης σου ).
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The icon's inscription is in Greek: Synaxis ton ennea tagmaton- Sinaxis (assembly) of the 9 orders
On the top a triangle and a circle - geometricaly reprsenting the Holy Trinity on the rest of the icons all the bodiless powers divided as follows (top to bottom, left to right):
1st rank Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, 2nd, Dominions, Powers, Authorities/ Virtues, 3rd rank Principalities, Archangels, and Angels. The leader of all the angelic hosts is the Archangel Michael. (Bottom row, right in the middle) .
The icon was custom made on the basis of an older icon (painted, I assume around 19th century). It was executed on a special type of gessoed canvas and was gilded with 22K gold. At the end of the painting process -as a last step- I ve cracked the canvas (literally roll the canvas to crack it) and applied a browninsh plant dye that penetrated into the "wrinkles" of the craquelure.
The cracking combined with a soft copperish color that this dye gives to the gold creates the so called "antique look" that matches so wel with antique stle pieces
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