Kowczeg – a shallow depression in the centre of the front side of a board. In the Church Slavonic language the word kowczeg means an ark and refers to the Ark of the Covenant. This is supposed to indicate the sacred character of the painting itself as a kind of relic. In kowczeg placed the main image, and at the edge of the board, called the field of the icon – small scenes and figures of saints (klejma) or inscriptions. Often the field remains empty, or part of the image enters it from kowczeg (eg halo). A small curve between the field of the icon and kowczeg, is called łuzga.