Icon "Holy Guardian Angel and Reverend John of Damascus"

Within the icon's recessed "ark" are full-length figures of the Guardian Angel — the Archangel Michael (left) — and Saint John of Damascus (right). The Guardian Angel is shown in a three-quarter turn to the right, Saint John in a three-quarter turn to the left. The Angel wears a red chiton and a yellow himation, golden wings behind him and a golden halo above his head; he holds a sword in his right hand and a scabbard in his left. Saint John wears episcopal vestments: a green sakkos, an omophorion, and a red mantle; a golden halo above his head. The Angel and the saint are set against a light-brown background that darkens to brown in the lower part of the icon. Above the Angel is the inscription "Guardian Angel," and above Saint John "Venerable John of Damascus." At the top center of the icon's field is a bust image of Jesus Christ as the Christ-Child Emmanuel, with a cruciform halo within a disc. The field of the icon is light brown, bordered around its perimeter by bands of dark brown and red. On the reverse, the panel is reinforced with a wide horizontal inset batten.

The icon was acquired by the museum from Yevheniia Volodymyrivna Susidko of Kharkiv in 1990.

Legend: Venerable John of Damascus (675–753) — a renowned theologian, philosopher and church writer — was born in Damascus into a Christian Arab family. His father served as treasurer at the Umayyad court. John received an excellent education and for a time held a high position at the caliph's court. He later became a monk at the Monastery of Saint Sabbas. He died around 753. In 754 an iconoclast council anathematized John of Damascus as "one who thinks in the manner of the Saracens, an author of lies who slandered Christ, plotted against the empire, and a teacher of evil who distorted Scripture," but the Council of Nicaea in 787 rehabilitated and glorified him. During the reign of Emperor Andronikos II his relics were transferred to Constantinople.

Prayers to John of Damascus are offered for healing of ailments of the hands and feet, for protection from slander, and for help in learning.