Roman Style Bronze Votive Sandaled Foot

Rectangular framed souflet reveal with inset stained glass depicting St. Nicholas standing wearing episcopal robes and mitre and holding a golden crozier beside a tub with three nude male infants; with integral backlight and 12V DC transformer and three-pin plug. 33.5 kg total, 100.5 x 80.5 cm including frame



Ex Neil Phillips Stained Glass Ltd, 2018. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12550-230648. 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 scene depicts St. Nicholas and the three children whom he saved from death. Tradition has it that three boys were playing in a field during the harvest. They wandered into the city and were soon lost, so they stopped at a butcher's premises to ask for food and a place to sleep. The butcher murdered them and kept their remains salted in a barrel. Some time later, Saint Nicholas visited the premises and commanded the butcher to open the large salting tub where the bodies still lay. Saint Nicholas said “Rise up, children!” and thus he miraculously resurrected the boys.

Composed of ten round Byzantine chains with oval terminals, the terminals with applied ropework and filigree decoration; loop-and-hook closure. 131 grams, 22.5 cm



Acquired on the UK art market. Ex property of a County Durham collector. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.

Representing the Hodegetria, with Mary indicating towards Jesus with her right hand, holding him with her left hand; on the right, a small image of Saint Tekla with veiled head and a long tunica talaris, holding a holy book; the cover set with pearls and semi-precious stones; dedicatory inscription plate in Cyrillic; inscriptions in Greek on the wooden background 'ΜΡ ΘΥ' for 'Mother of God', 'IC XC' for 'Jesus Christ'; over the small image of Saint Tekla Greek inscription 'Ο AΓIA TEKLA'; tempera on wood. 650 grams, 23 x 19.5 cm



Property of a London, UK, gentleman collector. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.

The icon, probably Greek in origin and later covered with beat work in Russia, shows the Virgin in the attitude of Mother of Consolation, or in that of Hodegetria. This is the iconographical type of Virgin Mary one encounters most frequently in an Eastern Orthodox church or home, Hodegetria meaning 'Mother of God Pointing the Way'. The Virgin Mary is shown with the Christ on her lap, her eyes looking at the viewer and her right hand indicating Christ, seeming to say 'Follow Him'. Later icons of the Hodegetria were adorned with gilt-silver covers and jewels like this one.