Representation of a deity or divine figure in a personified form or generally figurative mode, as opposed to aniconic representation in which the figure may be represented via a symbol or abstract shape. The use of this term varies depending on religious and historical context, but it may be said that iconic representation tends towards the figurative, while aniconism may tend towards abstraction. For example: in Hindu art, a deity represented in the form of a plant may be considered iconic, as opposed to an aniconic stone worshipped as a god or goddess; whereas in Buddhist art, ‘iconic’ representation of the deity generally refers to a necessarily human or anthropomorphic form. In Christian art, ‘icon’ refers to a specific type of religious painting popular in the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic traditions.