Handmade sacred icons for a baptism: a gift of gold for a lifetime

For a baptism people often give little chains, medals, silver keepsakes. They are loving gifts, but rarely stay with the child. A handmade sacred icon, on the other hand, is made to accompany a person for life: from the cradle to the home they will one day have, and on to their own children. This page is for those who know the value of an authentic icon and want to choose one for a baptism with care.

A story: the icon as tall as the baby

Think of a grandmother who, leafing through an old art book, discovers an ancient custom of the Christian East: when a child was born, devout families had an icon painted exactly as tall as the newborn. On it was the saint whose name the child bore. It was called a measured icon.

The grandmother talks about it with the godmother and godfather. The baby will be called Michael. At first it seems too big an idea for one family. But then the uncles and aunts join in, the great-grandparents, a distant cousin who lives abroad. Everyone contributes as they can.

The mother takes the measurement on the day of the birth: fifty-one centimetres. The family turns to an iconography studio between Messina and Taormina that still makes measured icons. The icon will be as tall as he is: the Archangel Michael, with golden wings and a steady gaze, on a hand-prepared wooden panel.

On the day of the baptism, after the ceremony, the grandmother gives the icon to the parents. On the back are the child's name and date of birth. The father holds it and looks at it for a long time: the archangel is exactly as big as the son sleeping in the pram beside him.

The years pass. The boy grows taller than the icon, then much taller. But the archangel stays there, in his room, then in his first home. One day, when he becomes a father, Michael will measure his own child. And he will understand why his grandmother wanted that gift.

Baptism and light: why a gold icon

In the first Christian centuries baptism was called illumination: the baptised passed from darkness into light. In Byzantine icons that light is represented by gold, which is not a background but the sign of God's light. Giving a gold icon to a newly baptised child means reminding them, every day, of the light they have received.

The icon of the Baptism of Christ, also called the Theophany, shows Jesus immersed in the waters of the Jordan, John the Baptist baptising him, angels waiting on the bank, the Holy Spirit as a dove and the heavens opening. It is the oldest and fullest subject for this sacrament.

Which icon to give for a baptism

• The Guardian Angel: the protector who accompanies the child at every step of life.
• The name saint: the patron whose name the child bears, their model and intercessor.
• The Baptism of Christ: the very image of the sacrament just received.
• The Archangel Michael or the Archangel Raphael, protectors and guides.
• The Mother of God of Tenderness: Mary holding the Child cheek to cheek, an image of maternal love.
• The Holy Family: the family welcoming the newborn.

The measured icon: a tradition worth rediscovering

The measured icon is a tradition of the Christian East, widespread especially in Russia from the sixteenth century: the height of the panel matched the newborn's length at birth, and the subject was the child's patron saint. It was a gift meant for a whole lifetime, accompanying the person into old age.

Today it is a rare and precious choice, suited to those seeking a truly personal gift. Few iconographers still make them: Concetta Basile's studio, between Messina and Taormina, creates measured icons on commission, to the child's length at birth.

What to ask before commissioning a baptism icon

• The subject: Guardian Angel, name saint, Baptism of Christ or another subject dear to the family.
• The size: from a small bedside icon to a made-to-measure panel.
• The inscriptions: the saint's name according to tradition, and on the back the child's name and baptism date.
• The materials: a hand-prepared wooden panel, real gold, natural pigments.
• The certificate of authenticity: the document that will accompany the work forever.
• Timing: a handmade icon takes time. Order it as soon as the baptism date is known.

A group gift for a baptism

Godparents, grandparents, uncles, aunts and relatives can join together and give the child one single work, instead of many small objects. It is a shared gesture that becomes a family heirloom: one day, looking at their icon, that child will know that many people came together for them.

Its value is both material, made of gold, wood, pigments and hours of certified craftsmanship, and spiritual: an icon watches over the child's sleep, accompanies their first prayers, and follows them when they leave their parents' home.

The icon of the city's patron saint

A much-loved idea for a baptism is the icon of the patron saint of the city where the child is born or baptised: a bond with their roots that will go with them wherever they live.

• Venice: St Mark the Evangelist, with the lion and the Gospel.
• Florence: St John the Baptist, patron of the city and its Baptistery. For centuries every Florentine was baptised beneath the golden mosaics of San Giovanni: no subject is more closely tied to baptism.
• Rome: Saints Peter and Paul.
• Milan: St Ambrose.
• Padua: St Anthony, among the most loved protectors of children.
• Trento and Trentino: St Vigilius, patron of the city and the diocese.
• Como and its lake: St Abbondius.
• Ravenna: St Apollinaris.
• Bologna: St Petronius. Turin: St John the Baptist.
• Assisi: St Francis. Siena: St Catherine.
• Bari: St Nicholas, protector of children since time immemorial.
• Naples: St Januarius. Palermo: St Rosalia. Catania: St Agatha. Messina: Our Lady of the Letter.

Those who live in Venice, Florence, Rome, Milan, Padua or Trento, or on Lake Como, know the value of sacred art well: every day they pass mosaics, gold grounds and icons that have crossed the centuries. A hand-written icon for a baptism brings that same tradition into the home, into a child's bedroom.

Concetta Basile's iconography studio, between Messina and Taormina

Concetta Basile's studio creates handmade Byzantine sacred icons with 23¾ carat gold and natural pigments, on panels of fine woods. It creates icons in the Catholic and Orthodox traditions, including commissions, each with a certificate of authenticity. From the Holy Family to the Guardian Angels, every icon is unique, and on request the studio creates the measured icon, as tall as the child at birth. The studio ships throughout Italy and abroad, and also works on commission with interior designers and architects furnishing luxury villas and residences.

To see the works and ask about an icon for a baptism, visit www.concettabasile.com.

If you are looking for a wedding gift, see also the page on hand-painted sacred icons as a wedding gift. And for the ceremony music, the one on church music in Taormina.