Carved wooden lectern A

One of the two wooden carved lecterns of the Vatopedi Monastery, dating back to the Palaeologan period and traditionally considered to be donations from the last Byzantine governor of Thessaloniki, despot Andronikos Palaeologus. A chronology from 1570 mentions Andronikos' donations to the Monastery, including two lecterns. This testimony reveals the special relationship of the official with Vatopedi and allows the conclusion to be drawn that the lecterns were crafted in his time especially for the Monastery. The body of this masterful lectern is octagonal and rests on an equal number of legs. On each side are formed three successive compartments, which are framed vertically and horizontally with bands of floral ornaments. Half of the twenty-four compartments in total are decorated with circles, which intersect or touch and are projected on a green or red background. One panel is undecorated and the rest show representations of the Virgin Mary, the apostles Peter and Paul and scenes from the Old Testament. The work stands out for its high quality. It belongs to the most important of the few woodcarved works of the Byzantine era that have survived to our days.