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LOT 0357
Large Painted Wooden Icon of Mother of God of Tikhvin
RUSSIA, 16TH CENTURY A.D.
27 5/8 x 20 3/4 in. (4.7 kg, 70.3 x 52.5 cm).
Oil and tempera, depicting the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus on a plain gold field; Mary wearing a red maphorion mantle over a blue robe, with golden brocade to the hem, in the style of Hodegetria (She who shows the way); the Virgin pointing at Jesus with her right hand, while looking towards the spectator; the infant facing left, resting on Mary's left arm, dressed in white tunic, wrapped in a red-orange shawl, right hand blessing the mother, left hand extended holding a scroll of the Holy Scriptures, while crossing his legs to reveal the naked sole of one of his feet; very effaced Greek inscriptions in red lettering 'ΜΡ ΘΥ (Μήτηρ (τοῦ) Θεοῦ = Mother of God)' flanking Mary's head; inscription in Greek 'ΙϹ ΧϹ' (ΙΗϹΟΥϹ ΧΡΙϹΤΟϹ = Jesus Christ) above the infant; rectangular wooden board with mounting bars to reverse and old collector's label 'Vierge Hodigitria, type Tikhvin, Icone russe du 16eme siècle, achetée á Constantinople…chez Monsieur Captain…peinture transmise sur nouvelle planche [Virgin Hodigitria, Tikhvin type, Russian icon from the 16th century, purchased in Constantinople...from Monsieur Captain...painting moved on a new board]'; border with pointillé lozenges and other detailing.
ProvenanceAcquired on the UK 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 search certificate number no. 19929-246334.
Cf. Geelmuyden Bulgurlu, V., Ulf, A., Lindgren N., Bodin H., Balicka-Witakowska, E., Five essays on icons, Stockholm & Istanbul, 2005, fig.2, p.92, for similar; Soloviova, I., Les icônes russes,Saint-Pétersbourg, 2006, pp.118-119.
FootnotesAccording to the legend, this particular icon of the Mother of God appeared in Rus' in 1383 near Veliky Novgorod over Lake Ladoga, and travelled through the air to the Tikhvin River, stopping at several points along the way and performing miracles. On Tikhvin, where the icon came to rest, a stone Dormition Cathedral was built by order of Grand Prince of Moscow Vasil III in 1515, and in 1560, Ivan the Terrible founded the Tikhvin Dormition Monastery near this cathedral. In 1613, the Dormition Monastery withstood the Swedish invasion, and in 1617, the Treaty of Stolbovo was concluded with Sweden. These events were associated with the miraculous intercession of the icon. Until 1936, the icon was kept in the Dormition Cathedral. In 1936, services in the cathedral were discontinued, and the icon was housed in various churches in Tikhvin. In November 1941, Tikhvin was occupied by German troops. The icon was taken abroad and remained in Chicago since the 1950s. In 2004, the icon was again ceremoniously transferred to the Dormition Cathedral of the Tikhvin Monastery.
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LOT 0357
Large Painted Wooden Icon of Mother of God of Tikhvin
Estimate £5,000 - 7,000€5,800 - 8,120 (for guidance only)$6,750 - 9,450 (for guidance only)
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Indus Valley Style Terracotta Vessel Group
20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £39
Mixed group of jars and a cup with painted details. 990 grams, 10-10.5 cm wide
Very fine condition.
From the private collection of John Meredith, acquired since the 1990s; thence by descent. -
Russian Orthodox Bronze Travel Icon with Saint George
Circa 1700 A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £140
Showing Saint George on horseback, dispatching the dragon with a spear thrust; the Saint dressed in a soft cuirass and seated on a high-ended saddle secured by breast, rump, and belly straps; on the right, the walls of Trebisonda and on the bottom right the princess; Old Slavic inscription on the top, reciting Saint George of Cappadocia (Свято́й Гео́ргий Каппадоки́йский); at the top, the Christ Mandylion inscribed inside a cross. 71 grams, 87 mm
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.
According to the Christian tradition, Saint George would have lived between the end of the 3rd century and the beginning of the 4th century: born into a noble Christian family, he became an officer in the Roman army and was then named a prefect by Diocletian. But when the same emperor decided to resume the persecutions, Saint George became a victim despite his important political rank. His role in the development of the faith is so important that he is included among the Great Martyrs of the Eastern Church and his fight against the dragon becomes a symbol par excellence of the fight for good which defeats evil. -
Reproduction Artefact Collection
20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £7
Comprising: ceramic roundel with low-relief Minerva; similar with centaur and serpent; cruciform stamp-seal with Christogram to underside; brooch in the shape of a gondola. 176 grams total, 46-80 mm
From a private Tyneside collection, formed since the early 2000s.
