Wood and cast lead printing block. Printing block is rectangular. The image on the block is of the Virgin Mary wearing a shawl and cloak. She wears a crown and bears a halo while seated upon a throne. Seated on her lad is the figure of Jesus Christ, also with a halo and tunic.

Donated by John Damianos. The printing block was used in a linotype printing machine. Linotype presses allowed for the casting of entire lines to be printed at a time. Linotype printing was eventually succeeded by lithograph printing and computer typesetting during the 1960's and 1970's. This printing block was used by the Chicago-based, The Greek Art Printing Company. Images such as the one of the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ on this printing block are common on icons, especially in Eastern Orthodoxy and Eastern Catholicism. Mary is pictured with a crown and upon a throne to symbolize her position as the Queen of Heaven. Most commonly her crown would be in the image of the crown worn by the ruler of the country the image originates from.

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