A pillar shrine: a white vertical, a cross at the top and images in niches. From a distance you see the pillar; close up, the images. And how an image sits in its niche decides whether the shrine reads as a whole.

What a pillar shrine is

It is a wayside shrine in the form of a pillar, of wood, stone or masonry, with a niche in which a sacred image or figure is placed. One does not go inside such a shrine. One stops in front of it.

Why an icon in a shrine niche, and not simply on the wall

An architectural dictionary defines a niche as a small recess in a wall, often used as a place for a statue or a vase. For an image, this recess does two things.

The first is protection. The niche partly shelters the image from rain and sun. Partly, because slanting rain and low sun will reach in there too.

The second is architecture. The image gains depth, shadow and an outline of its own. It becomes part of the pillar, not a sign on a wall.

An image for a shrine: first the niche, then the stone

The shape and depth of the niche are best settled in advance. The image is made for a particular niche, not the other way round.

Whether it is a new wayside shrine of stone or an old masonry one being restored, the order is the same. The shape of the niche sets the outline of the image: an arch, a rectangle, a circle. The depth suggests what thickness of stone will do and whether the image will project beyond the plane of the wall.

Gap and fixing: what goes into the drawing

An image is not set tight into its niche. Stone and wall respond differently to heat and cold, so a gap is left between them.

The fixing is also decided on the drawing, not on a ladder. That is why the image is made with the gap and the fixing in mind before work on the stone begins.

When there are several niches

Then the images are read together, as a row. One scale, one principle of framing, one hand, and the pillar holds its vertical instead of falling apart into separate pictures.

What to decide before ordering

The shape of the niche. An arch, a rectangle or a circle: the image will repeat its outline.
The depth. The thickness of the stone depends on it.
The dimensions. The width, height and depth of each niche separately, even if they look identical.
Gap and fixing. They go into the drawing before fabrication.

Questions and answers

Can an image be made for a niche that already exists? Yes. The image is made for the particular niche. We need photographs of the façade and the dimensions: width, height, depth.

What thickness of stone does an image in a niche need? It is determined by the depth of the niche and the method of fixing. Send us the dimensions and we will advise.

Will the niche protect the image from the weather? Partly: from direct rain and sun. So for an image outdoors the material itself matters too.

If you have a shrine with niches, send us a photograph of the façade and the dimensions of the niche and we will suggest what shape and thickness of stone will suit: +380 66 892 98 18. More about this line of work is on the Icons on stone page.