Christ offers His blessings with right hand raised as He holds open the Holy Book with the left hand. The realistic folds of the silver gilt clothing give the impression of lightweight cloth hanging loosely on Jesus’ body. A halo in relief focuses attention on the very beautiful painting of the face, which expresses both the intense spiritual passion of Christ as the Son of God and his compassion as the Son of Man. Nearly covering the entire surface of the icon is an area composed of wavy incising, like ripples of energy emanating from the Saviour. The overall effect is a lovely balance of ornateness and simplicity, combining brilliant reflections from the gilt with rich warmth from the delicate oil paint.