Pewter Vessel Group

With bulbous body and rounded foot, angled spout and filler to the shoulder, sturdy loop above, bands of painted geometric ornament. 946 grams, 21 cm high



From an old UK collection. Acquired from Hampstead Auctions, 17 June 2010, no.314. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.

Depicted with a young face, curly hair, crowned by a halo, six radiating wings with feather detail; two holes for attachment. 33 grams, 19 cm



Acquired Brigantia Antiques, York, UK, circa 2007. Ian Wilkinson collection, Nottinghamshire, UK, formed since 1985. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.

The plaque represents the central applique of a riphidion, an ecclesiastic fan worn by the Deacons during the Liturgical celebration of the Orthodox Church. The iconography refers to the Cherubim, the Angelic creatures with many wings and many eyes, ‘Singing the triumphal hymn, exclaiming, proclaiming, and saying' Holy, holy, holy. Fans are appointed to symbolise the invisible presence of the angels during significant liturgical acts. They are carried in the Great Entrance while the choir sings, ‘We who mystically represent the Cherubim and who sing the thrice-holy hymn to the life-creating Trinity, now lay aside all cares of this life, that we may receive the King of All, who comes invisibly escorted by the angelic host’. The altar servers take the place of angels, and they carry seraphic fans like the ancient Roman soldiers who carry the banner of their regiment.

Each door a single board with graduated scalloped upper edge, horizontal wooden bars to the reverse, hand-forged iron hinge knuckles and D-section leader to left door; primed with tempera on both faces and painted on the obverse, each with a bottle-green field, blue-grey frontage with vermillion upper storey and gilt roof; Left Door: portion of city wall with tall, narrow building behind, balcony at the upper level with King David standing holding an unfurled scroll, wearing a gilt crown, vermillion tunic and blue mantle; before the wall a winged angel Gabriel holding a frond, wearing a draped mantle over ankle-length chiton and sandals; above, red painted legend 'BOUNA'; to the right edge, a D-section leader painted with red, white and blue diagonal stripes; Right Door: portion of city wall with tall, narrow building behind, balcony at the upper level with King Solomon standing holding a scroll and wearing a gilt crown, similar tunic and mantle to the other; dove descending towards Mary standing before the wall in front of a cushioned throne, with gilt nimbus around her head; red painted legend 'V E S T I R E' above; rare. 13.8 kg total, 132 x 34 cm each



Property of a London, UK, gentleman collector. Accompanied by a copy of a Romanian export licence. 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.12466-229954. 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 'royal doors' (Greek: Ωραία Πύλη) mark the entrance to the iconostasis (wooden screen hiding the altar) in an Eastern Orthodox church.