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LOT 1318
Byzantine Steatite Icon with Military Saint
10TH-12TH CENTURY A.D.
2 3/4 in. (60 grams total, icon: 72 mm high).
Fragment of an icon depicting a facing saint modelled in the half-round within an arch; an ellipsoid low-relief face with hatched collar-length hair, lentoid eyes with pointillé pupils flanking a long nose; wearing a lamellar cuirass (klivanion); stylised sword (spathion) to the shoulder with lobe pommel, piriform blade with hatched median bar and undulations to the flanks (simulating damascening); arch resting on a balustered column with shallow fixing socket above the saint's head; mounted on a custom-made stand.
ProvenanceJacques and Henriette Schumann collection, Paris, France.
with Christie's, Paris, France, 30 September 2003, no.248.
European private collection.
Accompanied by a copy of French passport no.061301, dated 3 September 2003.
Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12690-234660.
This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Cf. for similar Chichurov, I.S., Byzantine Cherson, catalogue of exhibition, Moscow, 1991, figs.83, 84; cf. also Kalavrezou-Maxeiner, I., Byzantine Icons in steatite, Wien, 1985, pls. 8 (Athos, Vatopedi Monastery), 11 (Louvre, Saint Demetrios), 15 (Cherson, Saint Demetrios), 21 (Cherson, Saints Theodore, George and Demetrios), 28 (Moscow, Historical Museum).
FootnotesJacques and Henriette Schumann were distinguished Parisian collectors known for their discerning taste and passion for antiquities and decorative arts. Their collection, assembled over several decades, reflected a deep appreciation for cultural heritage and historical significance. Works from their collection have been included in major European auctions and are recognised for their provenance and quality.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 1318
Byzantine Steatite Icon with Military Saint
Estimate £7,000 - 9,000€8,120 - 10,440 (for guidance only)$9,450 - 12,150 (for guidance only)
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Byzantine Gold Openwork Earring Pair
Circa 6th-8th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,560
Each a crescent plaque with beaded borders, sprung hook and catch; openwork foliage motif. 6.98 grams total, 28 mm each
Property of a North American gentleman, London, UK, 1990-2010. -
Byzantine Bronze Punch with Menorah and Hebrew Inscription
Circa 5th-6th century A.D.Estimate: £800 - 1,000 (+bp*)
Current Winning Bid: £428
Columnar stem with conical base extending to a square-section shank. 18.8 grams, 31 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.
Stamping in antiquity and in the Roman Empire was under strict regulations, and it was not limited to food and liquid containers. Bricks and tiles used in construction were impressed with the names of magistrates, workshops, estate owners from whom the material came, and the names of individual makers. Among the myriad Late Roman stamps, a great number were to mark bread or containers holding flour and other foods, as well as a variety of liquids such as wine, oil, fish and fruits preserved in sauces, medical ointments, and even water. It is interesting to note as the Jewish symbols here engraved are very stylised: as mentioned by various scholars, the Jewish representations of shofar and lulav on this category of stamps degenerated in quality in Late Antiquity, and this is why they are variously dated between the 4th and the 7th century. -
Byzantine Bronze Cross Pendant
12th-14th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £98
Bifacial pendant with remains of inscription(?) on one side and the other with decorated arms and a bust in a circlet at the centre. 4.55 grams, 36 mm
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
