St Stylianos

A Byzantine icon of St Stylianos, protector of infants, preserved from the home of the family of Petros Karakoulakoglou in Alaya, where it was kept as a charm for an infant’s cradle. The work is painted on wood in the characteristic folk manner of the early 20th century.
The silver elements (protective halo, the Saint’s hand, and a small cover over the child) were added later as a votive offering by the Karakoulakoglou family—a practice particularly common in Asia Minor devotional culture. The partial covering and wear of the painted surface reflect the heirloom’s long liturgical use.

Kindly made available for photography by the family of Stathis Nouveloglou.