925 Silver 3 gram Coin
Original silver coin from Serbia.
Description:
Well,
that should really be Serbia’s Beli Andjeo. The fresco in question
started life as little more than a choice detail on another piece of
art, the early 13th-century Mironosnice na Hristovom grobu
(Myrrh-bearers on Christ’s Grave) in the Mileseva Monastery. The
androgynous spirit came to symbolise peace and reconciliation between
nations, and there was much need for both of those things in the mid- to
late-20th century.
With the Cuban Missile Crisis in the rearview
mirror, the nations of Europe decided to send a satellite signal to
North America in order to extend the hand of peace. The image was sent
in 1963, and the picture in question was none other than Serbia’s White
Angel. The angel’s forays into space didn’t end there, as the calming
beauty was subsequently sent further into space in an attempt to
communicate with extra terrestrials. The aliens didn’t respond, although
claims that this was because they were shamed by the artistic ability
are yet to be confirmed nor denied.
You’d think the artist behind
the first image in space would have men and women queuing up to sing
his or her praises, but you’d be wrong. The author of the White Angel is
still completely unknown, with many assuming that it was the work of an
anonymous Greek artist. The fresco went completely undiscovered for
centuries, sitting in Mileševa Monastery along with many other pieces of
spiritual art that were revered by all and sundry.
The Ottomans
weren’t particularly fond of the Serbs retaining an icon of their own to
keep the flame of hope burning, so the decision was made to lay waste
to the monasteries and churches of the Serbian Orthodox faith. Mileseva
didn’t escape this, and the pinnacle of Turkish repression started here
in 1594.
The Serbs had risen up (unsuccessfully) against the
Ottomans, and the Grand Vizier made the decision to remove Saint Sava’s
remains from Mileseva, take them to Belgrade, and set them on fire on
Vracar Hill. The monolithic church that now carries Sava’s name was
built on the very same spot.
When Mileseva was restored soon
after, the White Angel was actually painted over. The fresco could well
have been lost forever, but centuries of degradation saw it begin to
peek back through the paint, and it was thus restored in the 20th
century. The technique and precision of the painting could finally be
properly appreciated, and the White Angel became one of the most
important frescoes in all of Serbia.
It retains this position
today. It would be an integral part of Serbian spirituality whether or
not it had been sent to diffuse tensions in North America or transmitted
into space in an attempt to woo the little green men. Bishop Nikolaj
Velimirović (who posthumously was granted sainthood) described looking
at it as ‘identical to a prayer’. That seems somewhat blasphemous, but
who are we to argue with the New Chrysostom?
There are plenty of
incredible frescoes in Serbia. The mosaic at Oplenac may be the most
artistically impressive, but none carry quite as much weight and
historical responsibility as the one that was almost lost by negligence
and obliteration. The White Angel is now an international symbol of
peace. Maybe the aliens will come round to us soon…
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