Editing Saint Nicholas (section)

== Iconography ==
[[File:Nikola from 1294.jpg|thumb|Large icon of Saint Nicholas painted in 1294 for the [[Lipno Church]]]]
Saint Nicholas is a popular subject portrayed on Eastern Orthodox [[icons]], particularly [[Russian Orthodox Church|Russian]] and [[Serbian Orthodox Church|Serbian]] ones. He is depicted as an Orthodox bishop, wearing the [[omophorion]] and holding a [[Gospel Book]]. Sometimes he is depicted wearing the Eastern Orthodox mitre, sometimes he is bareheaded. Iconographically, Nicholas is depicted as an elderly man with a short, full, white, fluffy beard and balding head. In commemoration of the miracle attributed to him by tradition at the Council of Nicaea, he is sometimes depicted with Christ over his left shoulder holding out a Gospel Book to him and the Theotokos over his right shoulder holding the omophorion. Because of his patronage of mariners, occasionally Saint Nicholas will be shown standing in a boat or rescuing drowning sailors; Medieval Chants and Polyphony, image on the cover of the Book of Hours of Duke of Berry, 1410.<ref>Wheeler, Rosenthal, "St Nicholas: A Closer Look at Christmas", p. 96, Nelson Reference & Electronic, 2005.</ref>

[[File:Giotto, Badia Polyptych, Bishop Nicholas, c1301, Uffizi.jpg|thumb|[[Giotto]], Bishop Nicholas, panel of the ''[[Badia Polyptych]]'', c. 1301, [[Uffizi]], Florence]]

In depictions of Saint Nicholas from Bari, he is usually shown as [[Dark skin|dark-skinned]], probably to emphasize his foreign origin.{{sfn|Seal|2005|page=111}} The emphasis on his foreignness may have been intended to enhance Bari's reputation by displaying that it had attracted the patronage of a saint from a far-off country.{{sfn|Seal|2005|page=111}} In Roman Catholic [[iconography]], Saint Nicholas is depicted as a bishop, wearing the insignia of this dignity: a bishop's [[vestments]], a mitre and a [[crozier]]. The episode with the three dowries is commemorated by showing him holding in his hand either three purses, three coins or three balls of gold. Depending on whether he is depicted as patron saint of children or sailors, his images will be completed by a background showing ships, children or three figures climbing out of a wooden barrel (the three slaughtered children he resurrected).<ref name="St. Nicholas">{{cite web|title=St. Nicholas|url=http://www.cantius.org/go/liturgy_devotions/liturgical_seasons/advent_extraordinary/saint_nicholas/|website=St. John Cantius Parish|access-date=25 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916164452/http://www.cantius.org/go/liturgy_devotions/liturgical_seasons/advent_extraordinary/saint_nicholas/|archive-date=16 September 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

In a strange twist, the three gold balls referring to the dowry affair are sometimes metaphorically interpreted as being oranges or other fruits. As in the Low Countries in medieval times oranges most frequently came from Spain, this led to the belief that the Saint lives in Spain and comes to visit every winter bringing them oranges, other 'wintry' fruits and tales of magical creatures.<ref name="St. Nicholas"/>