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LOT 0363
Large Veneto-Cretan Icon of the Pieta
16TH CENTURY A.D.
20 7/8 x 18 in. (2.6 kg, 53 x 45.5 cm with frame).
Mary portrayed with sorrow expression, seated on a marble bench, cradling the body of Jesus on her lap; the maphorion of Mary rendered in red carmine with geometrically shaped folds, embellished with a golden hem, lined internally in grey; the neck and throat of Mary covered by a white fabric, according to the fashion of the time; the haloes decorated with elaborate floral patterns, against a brilliant gold background; on the bottom, hooked rope used for lowering the body from the cross.
ProvenanceAcquired 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 search certificate no.12792-240886.
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.
Korban, H.K., Icons from the Orthodox World, A private collection, London, 2013, p.54.
LiteratureCf. for prototype of these icons, Royal Academy of Arts, Exhibition Catalogue, From Byzantium to El Greco, London, 1980, no 45.
FootnotesThe painting belongs to the 16th century Veneto-Cretan School. The Venetians, masters of Crete since the 13th century AD, encouraged their Greek subjects to keep and develop their Christian religious traditions while at the same time bringing them into contact with intellectual trends current in Western Europe. The new artistic currents and the great Byzantine tradition were transferred to the Island which was able to adopt that tradition and create a new one. The icon painters were organised into a guild - the Scuola di San Luca - which promoted a specific post-Byzantine style through a system of instruction and apprenticeship which lasted for more than two centuries.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
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Medieval Style 'Billy and Charley' Lead Alloy Shadwell Type Shrine Forgery
19th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £260
Vesica-shaped diptych with standing nimbate Mary and child; openwork panel with mail-clad knight wearing a plumed helmet; believed to be by William Smith and Charles Eaton, 'dated' 1006 A.D. 241 grams total, 16 cm
Received from the curator of Leeds Museum by descent, circa mid 1980s. Ex property of a Yorkshire lady. From the private collection of a Cheshire, UK, gentleman. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
"Billy and Charlies", also known as the Shadwell forgeries, refer to a very extensive series of fake antiquities made in Victorian London by William Smith (Billy) and Charles Eaton (Charley). They were mudlarks who searched the Thames for items of value. William Edwards, a London antique dealer, made Billy's acquaintance around 1845, and he met Charley some years later. He paid them for items of interest that they found. Billy and Charley earned money from this until 1857, when they decided to counterfeit antiquities. They cast objects from lead or pewter, cutting dies into plaster of Paris moulds with nails and knives, and bathing the finished items in acid to simulate aging. Their commonest products were medallions, but others included daggers, statuettes, ampullae and even small shrines; as they were both illiterate the inscriptions on many of the objects are nonsense. They sold their forgeries to very prominent collectors of the time who thought they were genuine. Eventually, due to the large volume of objects that were appearing on the market, they were arrested and tried at court though they could not be found guilty of any crime at the time. They were released and carried on producing fakes but their style of manufacture had become well known and they eventually disappeared from history. -
Tudor Period Gold Ring with Cabochon
16th-17th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,105
With hatched balusters to the shoulders, dentilled plaque with inset conical glass stud. 4.01 grams, 23.57 mm overall, 17.17 mm internal diameter (approximate size British M, USA 6, Europe 12.46, Japan 12)
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Georgian Bronze Toy Cannon Group
18th-19th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £46
Two barrels for toy cannons, each with lateral trunnions. 97 grams total, 73-91 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.
