The Panagiarion is a vessel where the bread that is blessed in the name of the Mother of God is held on special occasions; nowadays this vessel is only used in monastery refectories. The iconography on Panagiaria is normally the Mother of God holding Christ on her chest, a reference to the Incarnation, adorned with liturgical inscriptions. In this case, the addition of the Deesis scene, on the right, behind the three-light opening, refers to her mediating role. The Panagiarion displayed in Sinai is closely associated, both in terms of its iconography and style, with dated works that have been attributed to Moldavia workshops.
