Stamps for prosphoras are a specially made wooden or metal stamp with a mirror image cutted out on its bottom. Using this tool you can make an overprint on the prosphora before it being placed in the oven. Church stamps appear during the Early Middle Ages, but they were finally unified already closer to the 15th - 16th centuries. The number of obligatory stamps for worship, as well as the materials from which they were made, depended on the particular region and local traditions.
In Greece and the Mediterranean countries there is still widespread tradition to celebrate the liturgy using one large prosphora. Accordingly, this prosphora is a rather impressive bread, from which the priest takes out all the necessary particles during the proskomedia. For such a prosphora, they use one large seal with a diameter of about 30 cm with a classic image of the cross and a monogram of the IS XS NI KA (that is, translated from Greek as "Jesus Christ the Victor"). These stamps used to be made of decorative stone, mainly marble. In Ukraine, since the reforms of Metropolitan Peter Mohyla, liturgy has been served at five small prosphoras for various purposes. Therefore, the stamps for such prosphoras had a different pattern and made in a smaller diameter (approximately 5-7 cm). Basically, such a stamp is made from metal, with a wooden handle. Depending on the type of prosphoras, appropriate printing is also used for its manufacture. There are two main types of printing for prosphoras:
1. Stamp with a cross and a monogram of IS XS NI KA. This type of printing is one of the oldest and most common among the Local Orthodox Churches.
2. The stamp with the monogram “MARIA” - is used for the manufacture of the prosphora dedicated to the Virgin Mary, so named because of the particle is taken from the proskomedia in honor and memory of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
In addition, there is a tradition (mainly in monasteries) to use stamps depicting local revered saints or icons. So, for example, in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra special stamps are used depicting the local icon of the Virgin and Saints Anthoniy and Theodosius. In the Pochaev Lavra, it is a seal with the face of the icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Pochaev and always with a trace of her foot - a local shrine.
Now many large temples and cathedrals have also adopted this custom, and began to use a stamp with the image of saints, in whose honor this temple was consecrated. However, it should be remembered that stamps with images of saints or icons are used during the manufacture of prosphoras intended for distribution to believers. The prosphoras for the celebration of the liturgy is prepared with two types of stamps, of which we spoke above.
It is not difficult to buy stamps for prosphoras in Ukraine now, but for this it may be necessary to travel around a lot of suppliers to make sure the quality of work. The Axios online store offers you to quickly and easily buy stamps for prosphoras without leaving your home. We work only with trusted manufacturers and without any problems arrange delivery to any region of Ukraine and the world.
