Photo Album of Palestine Before the Establishment of Israel

Cruciform pendant with inset wooden panels, scroll above, applied Corpus Christi. 23.4 grams, 87 mm



From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.

Depicting nimbate Mary Theotokos with veiled head and wearing a maphorion mantle over a dark blue robe with gold cuffs, inclined towards the infant Jesus supported by her right hand, his left arm wrapped around her neck and the right hand resting on her chest; gilt field and border with colourful enamelled detailing to the corners, roundels and rectangles with monograms and titling, on each side of her head 'ΜΡ ΘΥ' (Μήτηρ (τοῦ) Θεοῦ = Mother of God), over her left shoulder Cyrillic inscription 'Влади́мирская Б.М.' (Vladimir Mother of God), over the child inscription in Greek letters 'ΙϹ ΧϹ' (ΙΗϹΟΥϹ ΧΡΙϹΤΟϹ = Jesus Christ), three letters (only two visible) inside the nimbus of Christ representing the continuous divine self-existence of Christ as God ('O ѾN' = The Only One who always exists); Moscow School. 6.5 kg, 56.5 x 46 cm

Fine condition.

Ex property of a London lady, part of her family's collection. 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 no. 11543-196361.

This splendid specimen was probably originally housed in an aristocratic Russian home. The icon of the Virgin Mother of Vladimir with the infant Jesus (the original preserved in the Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow), probably the most famous icon of all of Russia, was thought to have been created in Constantinople in the early part of 1100s. This image is sometimes referred to as the ‘tenderness icon’, with artists attempting to show the close relationship of mother and son with their cheeks touching as they embrace.

An icon of Saint Nicholas of Mira, tempera on wood panel, the central part of the composition depicting Saint Nicholas with an open book in his left hand showing an excerpt from the Gospel of Luke (VI.17) in which Christ is preparing for the Mount of Beatitudes sermon; Saint Nicholas shown blessing, dressed as a bishop, with a white sticharion, covered by a red omophorion, and surmounted by a white epitrachelion embroidered with black crosses; the saint flanked by Jesus and Virgin Mary, respectively on dark blue and red background; Christ holding the Gospel, Mary the bishop’s epitrachelion; in horizontal registers, left to right, and top to bottom, are depicted scenes of the saint’s life: Nicholas's birth; his baptism; Nicholas healing a woman; beginning his studies as a priest; the saint being appointed deacon; the saint invested in the priesthood; his ordination to Episcopacy; Nicholas appearing in dreams to Patriarch Ablabius and Emperor Constantine to persuade them to free three prisoners (two scenes); Nicholas saving the three prisoners from the death sentence; Nicholas rescuing three generals wrongly imprisoned; the saint chopping down a tree possessed by a demon; the saint calming a storm at sea; Nicholas rescuing the boy Basil from captivity; the Dormition of St Nicholas; the saint saving a boy from drowning in Kiev; Cyrillic inscription on the right and left side of the central image reading Никола́й Чудотво́рец = Saint Nicholas the wonderworker. 17.6 kg, 89 x 110 cm



Ex Stair Galleries, New York, USA. From an important collection of icons. 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. 12341-224608.

Saint Nicholas lived in 4th century A.D. and was the bishop of Myra, in the Roman Asia Minor. Because of the many miracles attributed to his work, his cult was widespread in the Orthodox world and he is known as Nicholas the wonderworker. His reputation as a secret gift-giver (such as putting coins in the shoes of those who left them outside, or the dowry given to three maidens saving them from prostitution) created a model for Santa Claus. The veneration of the saint, who participated in the Council of Nicaea of 325 A.D., began very soon after his death.