Marble relief icons

Marble relief icon (dimensions 1.70 x 0.63 m.) presenting Theotokos (Virgin Mary) praying, of the iconographic type of Vlachernitissa originating from the Byzantine monastery of Virgin Mary of  'Oxia Episkepsis" ("Acute Visitation"), the so-called Makrinitisa, work of the 13th century.

The Virgin Mary, standing upright and with her hands raised in prayer, carries front chest, within a medal, the small Christ, who blesses with his right hand, while his left holds a closed scroll. On both sides of the head of the Virgin are detected incised inscriptions ΜΗ(ΤΗ)Ρ Θ(ΕΟ)Υ / Η ΟΞΕΙΑ ΕΠΙ / ΣΚΕΨΙΣ (MO(THE)R [OF] G(O)D / THE ACUTE VISI / TATION), while on both sides of Christ's head are incised the monograms Ι(ΗΣΟΥ)Σ / Χ(ΡΙΣΤΟ)Σ (IC / XC). Down the right, by the feet of Virgin Mary, and on a smaller scale, an inclined male figure with raised hands in a pleading posture.

On the icon frame, the incised capital-lettered  dedicatory inscription is mostly legible, while illegible remains only part of it on the right vertical side, due to the destruction in part of the marble carrier:

ΔΕΣΠΟΙΝΑ Μ(ΗΤ)ΗΡ ΤΟΥ Θ(ΕΟ)Υ ΛΟΓΟΥ ΜΟΝΟΥ/ ΠΟΣΙ ΠΑΝΑΓΝΕ ΚΕΙΜΕΝΟΝ ΚΑΤΩ ΡΥΣΑΙ ΜΕ ΠΥΡΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΣΚΟΤΟΥΣ ΕΞΩΤΕΡΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΣΥΓΚΑΤΑΡΙΘΜΗΣΟΝ ΟΙΣ ΟΙΔΑΣ ΤΡΟΠΟΙ[Σ] / ΕΝ ΤΗ ΜΕΡΙΔΙ ΤΩΝ ΑΝΩ ΣΤΡΑΤΕΥΜΑΤ[ΩΝ]/ Τ…ΦΩ…ΟΣ Σ…Ο ΚΕ ΤΟΝ … …ΘΟ ΓΡΑΨΑΝΤΑ ΤΗΝ ΣΗΝ ΕΙΚΟΝΑ ΩΣ [ΒΑ]ΣΙΛΙΣΣΑ ΒΑΣΙΛΙΚΩ[Σ] …Α……ΘΟΙ