Large Enamelled Silver Memento Mori Skull Ring

All with suspension loop, slot to underside and vents above; some with incised decoration. 375 grams total, 27-40 mm



Found East Anglia, UK. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

Tempera on two wooden panels executed on a green ground; the upper part of the left panel showing the nimbate Theotokos (Mother of God) with veiled head and mantle, pointing the infant Jesus supported by her left hand, wearing a red-gold maphorion mantle over a dark blue robe with gold cuffs; the infant facing away to left, dressed in blue tunic, wrapped in a red orange shawl, right hand extended towards his mother in a blessing gesture; beside Mary inscriptions in red Greek letters 'ΜΡ' and 'ΘΥ' (Μήτηρ (τοῦ) Θεοῦ = Mother of God), and beside the child the Greek letters 'ΙϹ ΧϹ' (ΙΗϹΟΥϹ ΧΡΙϹΤΟϹ = Jesus Christ); in the lower part of the panel, God emerging as a half-bust from the sky, blessing the three theologians, Saint Basil of Caesarea, Saint John Chrysostom and Saint Gregory the Theologian, all dressed in ecclesiastic high garments, their names written in Greek beside their heads; the upper part of the right panel showing Christ Pantokrator, Lord of the Universe, the right hand in blessing gesture, the left hand holding a Gospel decorated with precious stones, wearing a blue chlamys and red sticharion embroidered with a gold clavus; in the lower part Saints Onuphrius, Saint Nicholas of Myra and Antony the Great of the Desert, the first naked and covered only by a leaf, the second in bishopric garments and the third in monastic garments, their names written in Greek beside their heads; all the haloes are in gold, the ones of Christ marked by a red cross. 3.6 kg, 49 x 55.5 cm (opened)



Acquired on the European art market. Private collection, London, UK. 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.12794-240887. 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 diptych is a synthesis of Orthodox belief: from one point of view, it shows the human nature of God, born from the Virgin; from the other the divine nature of Jesus Christ as the supreme Lord of the Universe. The icon skilfully depicts the subjects, with Mary pointing towards the infant Jesus, the faces rendered with dramatically emphasised features and dark tones.

Gilt panel with hand-painted image of St Nicholas standing between busts of Jesus and Mary, Cyrillic text above; mounted in a wooden frame with grapevine surround and hinged glazed lid; old label to reverse 'O bache / Capitain'. 946 grams, 23 cm



From the private collection of a Canadian gentleman living in Essex, UK, formed since the 1920s-circa 1990. Property of an Essex lady until the late 1990s; thence by descent. From the private collection of an Essex gentleman since the late 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.