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LOT 2060
Russian Bronze Travel Icon with the Three Hierachs of Orthodoxy
19TH CENTURY A.D.
4 1/2 in. (270 grams, 11.5 cm).
Depicting Saint Basil the Great, Saint Gregory the Theologian and Saint John Chrysostomus, all nimbate and holding their holy writings, under the vision of the Holy Mandylion; Saint Basil wearing a bishop's sakkos, the other two wearing the usual orthodox priest's garb, phelonia; all three wearing a brocade band, omophorion, with four crosses; inscriptions in Old Slavonic with the names of the Saints, on the Nimbus of Jesus, the letters 'O Ѡ N' (‘I AM’); names of the Saints in the background in Old Slavonic; framed by double moulding, the first decorated with crenellated elements, the second with arabesques.
ProvenanceAcquired 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.
Cf. Melnik, L. Yu., Enamel Icons in the State Catalog: Iconography of Saints in Rostov Museum Communications (in Russian), in Issue XXIV, Rostov, 2019, fig. 51, pp.178-277, for a similar icon.
FootnotesThe icon is the so-called icon of the three hierarchs, Saint Gregory the Theologian (Gregory of Nazianzus), Saint Basil the Great (Basil of Caesarea) and Saint John Chrysostom, archbishop of Constantinople. All three were important fathers of the church who strove to clarify and crystallise Dogma, for the unity of the faith, of the Liturgy and the needs of philosophy and letters.
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LOT 2060
Russian Bronze Travel Icon with the Three Hierachs of Orthodoxy
Estimate £100 - 140€120 - 160 (for guidance only)$140 - 190 (for guidance only)
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Roman Style Gold Pendant with Nude Female
19th century A.D. or earlierEstimate: £2,000 - 3,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,000
Ellipsoid plaque with incuse standing female supporting a cornucopia on one arm and a victoriola in the other hand; altar with knop finial behind her, perching eagle at her feet; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 10.48 grams, 42 mm
Private collection, Swiss. with Geneve Encheres, 14 December 2017, no.1024. Private collection, England. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13155-249557. -
Tudor Period Silver Ring with 'Amuletic' Toad Stone
Western Europe, 16th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £5,720
Round-section hoop supporting a discoid bezel, claw setting with inset 'toadstone' amulet. 4.53 grams, 29.85 mm overall, 20.51 mm internal diameter (approximate size British T, USA 9 1/2, Europe 21.26, Japan 20)
Private collection, Europe. Acquired on the French art market. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.13074-248390.
William Shakespeare’s As You Like It, circa. 1599; ‘Sweet are the uses of adversity, Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, Wears a precious jewel in his head yet’. Toadstones are mythical stones that were thought to be found inside the head of a toad. They were believed to sweat, change colour or even heat up in the presence of poison. It was thought that a toadstone placed on bites from snakes, insects, spiders and shrews would extract poison from the wound. They were thought to bring good luck and ward off evil, whether in the present life or in the afterlife. The Book of Secrets from the 13th century recommends swallowing the stone to 'cleanse the bowels of filth and excrements'. The stone could then be retrieved and used again. They were often set as amulets and talismans, a practice that continued in Europe until the 18th century. Toadstones are actually the button-like fossilised teeth of Lepidotes, an extinct genus of fish common in the Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods, 200 to 100 million years ago. -
Eastern European Bronze Cross
Circa 18th-19th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £20
Formed with three horizontal bands, central figure of crucified Jesus; a pair of angels, dove and Jahve to the upper part; legend in azbuka on both faces. 66 grams, 11 cm
Ex Constable collection, 1990s. Ex P. Morris collection.
