Lapis Lazuli Bead Necklace String

Tongue-shaped plaque with hatched border and central facing image of a nimbate patriarch with 'KOA' legend to one side; pierced square lug above. 28.9 grams, 58 mm



Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of Surrey, UK, gentleman.

Painted on a wooden board with mounting slots and panels to the reverse, gessoed surface with painting of Christ entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday riding a donkey; crowd within the city wall waiting with palm fronds, two figures laying down cloaks for the donkey to walk on; followers of Christ in gateway, each with golden nimbus; Christ with similar and letters 'ω', 'C' reversed and 'Н'; Cyrillic script title above reciting: 'Entrance of the Lord in Jerusalem'; bands of gilt ornament to the borders and corners. 1.7 kg, 31 x 36 cm



Ed Jackson Auctions USA. From an important collection of icons.

The scene, painted in the style of 19th century romantic painters, represents a well-known part of the Gospels that describe the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. He makes a grand entrance into the city on a donkey to fulfil the prophesy of Zechariah, “Tell the city of Zion, look, your king is coming to you! He is humble and rides on a donkey and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Christ is followed by his disciples and in the background citizens wave palm branches.

With stepped lozengiform bezel, central gilt plaque with skeleton and star, guilloche to the shoulder; inscribed in florid italic hand to the inner face of the hoop 'Vive Memor Leti' (be mindful of death in life). 4.14 grams, 22.92 mm overall, 18.42 mm internal diameter (approximate size British Q, USA 8, Europe 17.49, Japan 16)



Private collection, Arundel, West Sussex, UK, 1980s.

The Latin phrase is taken from the work of the 1st century AD poet Aulus Persius Flaccus, Satires V 151-3: vive memor leti ! fugit hora; hoc quod loquor inde est (Live mindful of death. Time is fleeting [and] every word I speak is [borrowed] from it.).