Gallery NO. DS - 2026 - 008
Created June 2026
The Vessel of Mercy
Hand-Carved Arabic Orthodox Christian Stoneware Vase
The Vessel of Mercy is a one-of-a-kind sculptural stoneware vase bearing one of the simplest and most enduring prayers of the Christian heart: يا رب ارحمني — O Lord, have mercy on me.
Carved by hand into the vessel in Arabic, the prayer belongs to the living language of Orthodox supplication—a brief invocation that can be carried upon the breath and returned to throughout the day. Within only a few words, it expresses humility, repentance, and complete trust in the mercy of God.
Small in scale yet substantial in presence, The Vessel of Mercy was created as a contemplative object: a vessel in which sacred language, material, and form become inseparable. The Arabic inscription moves across the handmade surface as part of the architecture of the piece itself, a prayer carved into earth and preserved through fire.
The Inscription
يا رب ارحمني Yā Rabb, irḥamnī O Lord, have mercy on me.
The prayer carries the same spiritual movement heard continually throughout Orthodox worship: the turning of the human heart toward God and the plea for His mercy.
Within Orthodox Christianity, mercy encompasses more than forgiveness alone. It calls upon God's compassion, healing, protection, and loving presence. The prayer therefore becomes both petition and confession—a recognition of human need joined to trust in the goodness of God.
Rendered in Arabic, the inscription also bears witness to the ancient and living Arabic-speaking Orthodox Christian tradition of the East.
Surface & Form
The vessel is enveloped in Alabaster, extending across the exterior and into the interior to create a warm, pale mineral surface. The softly variegated glaze allows the natural movement of the handmade form to remain visible, giving the piece the quiet presence of an aged devotional artifact.
Its irregular, undulating rim rises and falls organically around the opening, while the elevated foot gives the compact vessel a more architectural presence. Across the lower body, the Arabic prayer يا رب ارحمني — Yā Rabb, irḥamnī is individually carved into the clay, allowing subtle variations of glaze and shadow to settle within the inscription.
Details
Collection: Relic Forms Curated Subcollection: The Antiochian Script Collection Form: Small sculptural Orthodox stoneware vase Material: High-fired stoneware Inscription: يا رب ارحمني Transliteration: Yā Rabb, irḥamnī Translation: O Lord, have mercy on me Inscription Method: Individually hand-carved into the clay Exterior Glaze: Alabaster Interior Glaze: Alabaster Surface Details: Warm mineral variation, hand-worked surface, organically undulating rim, elevated foot Firing: Cone 6 Origin: Handmade by DOXA & STAVROS Edition: One of one
Accompaniment
Gallery Record: This work is accompanied by a Gallery Record documenting its title, inscription, collection, gallery number, and permanent place within the archive of the DOXA & STAVROS Workshop.
*The document shown is a representative sample. Each Gallery Record is individually prepared for the work it accompanies.
Certificate of Authenticity: This work is accompanied by a signed Certificate of Authenticity affirming their originality and archival record within the DOXA & STAVROS Workshop.
*The document shown is a representative sample. Each Certificate of Authenticity is individually prepared for the work it accompanies.
Each DOXA & STAVROS vessel is individually formed and finished by hand. Variations in shape, surface, glaze movement, carving, and firing are not considered defects but are evidence of the making process and the singular nature of the work.
Objects formed by prayer and fire.
