Details

LOT 2139

Russian Wooden Icon with Christ Pantocrator with Silver Cover

DATED 1889 A.D.

8 7/8 x 7 in. (498 grams, 22.5 x 18 cm).

Showing Christ Pantocrator (Lord of the Universe) making a blessing gesture with the right hand, the left hand holding the gospel, covered with an elaborate silver oklad marked 84, with repoussé and chased decoration, incised Cyrillic inscription on the Gospel, and on the bottom an incised Cyrillic inscription 'Господь Вседержитель'= Lord Almighty.

Provenance

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.

Literature

Cf. similar icons in Moscow Art Centre, Artistic Treasures of Russia, Catalogue of the Icons (in Russian), Moscow, 2022, icons 67, 79, 94.

Footnotes

This fine Russian religious work depicts Christ Pantocrator, ‘Almighty’ or ‘All Powerful’. It is a compound word formed from the Greek words for ‘all’ and the noun ‘strength’ (kratos). In Orthodox Christianity, his icon is one of the most common religious images. The 'oklad', or protective covering of the icon, was made from silver, often gilt, sometimes with cloisonné enamel decorations, and always decorated with geometric floral patterns. The style of Christ recalls the work of Ivan Semenovich Gubkin, an embosser active in Russia at the beginning of 20th century.