Carved wooden lectern B

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. 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. In the twenty-four compartments in total, relief panels have been placed, each of which represents one of the twenty-four Houses of the Akathist Hymn sung in honor of the Theotokos. Thus, the scenes as a whole constitute the representation of the Akathist Hymn. The work stands out for its high quality. It belongs to the most important of the few woodcarved works of the Byzantine era that survive today.