Tempera on wood with red and green frame, Saint Nicholas with a book in his left hand and making the gesture of blessing with his right, dressed as a bishop, with a green sticharion, covered by a red-pink omophorion, and surmounted by a white epitrachelion embroidered with black crosses; the saint flanked by Jesus and Virgin Mary, Christ holding the Gospel, Mary the bishop’s epitrachelion; Greek inscriptions 'Saint Nikolaos (O A[ΓΙΟΣ] ΝΙΚΟΛΑΟΣ), Iesus Christos (ΙΣ ΧΡ) and Mother of God (ΜΡ ΘΥ)' on the gilt background.

PROVENANCE:
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.

LITERATURE:
Cf. Haładewicz-Grzelak, M., ‘Cultural codes in the iconography of St. Nicholas (Santa Claus)’ in Sign Systems Studies 39(1), 2011, pp.105-144, figs.1-2 p.115, for similar Greek icons of the saint.

FOOTNOTES:
Saint Nicholas lived in 4th century A.D. and was the bishop of Myra, in the Roman Asia Minor. Because of the many miracles attributed to his work, his cult was widespread in the Orthodox world and he is known as Nicholas the wonderworker. His reputation as a secret gift-giver (such as putting coins in the shoes of those who left them outside, or the dowry given to three maidens saving them from prostitution) created a model for Santa Claus. The veneration of the saint, who participated in the Council of Nicaea of 325 A.D., began very soon after his death.