Georgian Silver and Gold 'The Heart Brings Love To You' Posy Ring

Rectangular framed souflet reveal with inset stained glass depicting St. Nicholas standing wearing episcopal robes and mitre and holding a golden crozier beside a tub with three nude male infants; with integral backlight and 12V DC transformer and three-pin plug. 33.5 kg total, 100.5 x 80.5 cm including frame



Ex Neil Phillips Stained Glass Ltd, 2018. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12550-230648. 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.

The scene depicts St. Nicholas and the three children whom he saved from death. Tradition has it that three boys were playing in a field during the harvest. They wandered into the city and were soon lost, so they stopped at a butcher's premises to ask for food and a place to sleep. The butcher murdered them and kept their remains salted in a barrel. Some time later, Saint Nicholas visited the premises and commanded the butcher to open the large salting tub where the bodies still lay. Saint Nicholas said “Rise up, children!” and thus he miraculously resurrected the boys.

Depicting Christ Pantocrator and Saint John on his side, hand of Mary visible on the left; the Lord of the Universe represented seated upon a cushioned throne, the right hand in blessing gesture, the left hand holding a Gospel decorated with precious stones; wearing a blue chlamys and red sticharion; Saint John in proskynesis in front of Christ, dressed in a brown vestis talaris; the head of both surrounded by a red halo; later wire for hanging to the reverse with an information sheet in German. 1.8 kg, 57 cm



Ex Hargesheimen Auction House, Dusseldorf, Germany. Property of a London, UK, gentleman collector. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.

The icon represents a middle section from a Deesis of a church iconostasis. Although preserved as a fragment, it is designed in the high style of the late 16th century.

Composed of alternating facetted tabular and cylindrical beads interspersed with small glass oblate beads; restrung 27.3 grams, 39.5 cm



Ex London art market. Property of a North London, UK, gentleman. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.