Bowers Jewelers, 7860 Girard Ave., offers an eclectic range of gifts ” with everything from diamonds and rubies to crystal vases, Fabergé eggs, frames, shot glasses, martini sets, figurines, music boxes and a whole display of Russian icons.Haloed saints with long, thin noses, almond-shaped eyes and gaunt frames stare directly from the painted, wooden icons, often accompanied by a simple gesture of the long, skinny fingers, either raised to heaven, lifted in praise or curved in Christian symbolism. Long-time La Jollan and gift shop owner Ormand Leavel began collecting Russian icons 50 years ago in Kansas City, only opening his collection for sale almost four years ago. The approximately 150-year-old icons sell for between $495 and $5,000. Leavel has propped a framed informational sheet next to the display to explain the artistic technique, style, symbolism and interwoven history of Russian icons. “People need to know a little bit more; they’re buying a piece of history,” Leavel said. Christ appears in many of the icons, either as a risen king, crucified savior or a babe in Mary’s arms. Other icons depict a whole calendar month of haloed saints, one for each day. In a special Riza icon encased in metal, Mary bows graciously over Jesus.Russian Orthodox icons often catch the unapprised Western viewer off-guard. The artist did not strive to imitate nature in his rendering of holy Christian figures. Eyes are oddly shaped, noses are exceptionally thin and long; each component appears strangely inhuman. The figures stand in direct relationship to the viewer so that their faces are fully seen, and each scene appears in a basic two-dimensional form. “There’s an apparent simplicity, overemphasized flatness, unreal colors, lack of perspective and strange proportions,” Leavel’s notes record. Instead, the Byzantine artists purposely intended to create a dematerialized, unrealistic perspective of the church’s most holy figures in order to transcend the flesh and to portray a superseded, heavenly element. “The church tried to interpret the beauty of the spiritual world,” Leavel said. Icon painting stretches back to the third century, when the Russian Orthodox Church split from the Roman Catholic Church and left the Catholic statues behind in favor of its own images, Leavel said. Two icons adorn either side of Leavel’s bedroom door, a common Russian way to display the pieces, which are also found in the living room, by the front door and, today, propped on the car dashboard for protection. In earlier centuries, the saints were placed in barns and used to guard livestock. The last Tsar, Nicholas II, and Tsarina Alexandra displayed more than 700 icons in their palace. Some icons depict a full calendar of patron saints, one for each day of the month.While Easter has already passed for Catholics, Russian Orthodox Christians continue their fast until their Easter, on Sunday, April 23. Instead of greeting each other with “Happy Easter,” Russian Orthodox Christians joyously declare, “Christ is risen,” and respond with: “He is risen indeed!” The church celebrates Christ’s resurrection on Saturday evening, with a candle-lit procession around the church that ends at the stroke of midnight.Despite Leavel’s affinity for Russian icons and his extensive knowledge, he has never set foot on Russian soil. Perhaps he’s been too busy to journey far. During his 36 years in La Jolla, he started six stores: Gifts La Jolla, Candles of La Jolla, Kaleidoscope, Candelabra and Panache. For more information about Bowers Jewelers, call (858) 459-3678.
