Chalcedony Bead Necklace

Depicting the Saviour on the cross, the titulum inscribed in Cyrillic ‘Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews’; long inscriptions in Old Church Slavonic and traditional elements of the ‘Stavrosis’ surrounding the cross: sponge on reed, spear and a skull set on stones marking the site as Golgotha, twisted cords or wire, and the walls of Jerusalem; on the upper part of the cross, angels with cloth-covered hands and over them a frontal view of the torso of God with his arms raised above clouds; inscribed prayers in Old Church Slavonic and file marks on the back of the casting. 65.4 grams, 11.1 cm



Acquired from Chris Martin-Zakheim, Iconastas, 5 Piccadilly Arcade, London SW1. From the private collection of a West London, UK, gentleman, formed since the early 2000s.

Orthodox travel icons were used by the faithful to carry a sacred representation with them during their journeys, offering protection and a constant spiritual connection. The icon features meticulous craftsmanship with intricate details of the Passion and Death of the Saviour, according to the Byzantine iconography.

Comprising a facetted hoop and integral chi-rho Christogram. 2.46 grams, 21.74 mm overall, 17.83 mm internal diameter (approximate size British P, USA 7 1/2, Europe 16.23, Japan 15)



Acquired on the London art market in the late 1980s-1990s. From the family collection of an East London, UK, gentleman.

With D-section body and S-curved coils, head raised and mouth gaping to reveal a forked tongue; repaired. 456 grams, 18 cm



Acquired 1970s-1996. Property of a North American collector. London collection, 2016.