Theriaca 'Venice Triacle' Lead Box Lid

Tempera on wood panel depicting the Archangel Michael standing on a red cushion in the guise of a guardian angel, holding a drawn sword in his right hand and a scabbard in his other hand; the face with a brown base, features formed in shades of tan and beige with white highlights on a terracotta and deep green background. 3.5 kg, 70 x 38 cm with frame



Acquired on the European art market. Private collection, London, UK. 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 number no.12844-240885. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

Even after the fall of Constantinople, icons painted on wood remained the principal object of devotion for Orthodox Christians both within the former borders of Byzantium and wherever the commonwealth of the Eastern Roman Empire left its traces. The painted icons are still today used by the Orthodox for personal devotion, for display in churches on feast days, and to decorate the iconostasis (partition) of the church, i.e. the dividing wall erected in front of the Bema, where the sacred altar of the Apse is collocated. The Archangel Michael was the commander of the Heavenly Host, and venerated by military men and the common people as one of the most powerful protector saints.

Miniature of the 'Moscow Cannon' or 'Tsar Cannon', located in the Kremlin; on a wheeled carriage with lion-mask, rampant lion among tendrils and other detailing; pile of cannonballs to the base with 'paving stones' effect and Cyrillic text to one angle; original cast in 1586 by Russian master bronze caster Andrey Chokhov, it is a significant monument of Russian artillery and a major tourist attraction. 3.49 kg, 24.1 cm wide



From the private collection of a S.W. London gentleman, acquired in the 1970s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

The original cannon was put into service in 1586 by Tsar Feodor I Ioannovich, son of Ivan IV. It weighed 39.31 tons and had a length of 5.34 metres, an internal diameter of 89 cm, and an external diameter of 1.2 metres. It was the largest cannon in the world of its time. The Tsar Cannon was never used in war, but was likely intended as a display of military might from the beginning. Some researchers argue that this cannon could not fire its two-ton projectiles but its purpose was to fire stone shrapnel. The cannon is adorned with reliefs, including one of Tsar Feodor on a horse. The original wooden gun carriage was built in the early 19th century, but was destroyed by fire in 1812; the present gun carriage and projectiles were added in 1835.

With D-section hoop, openwork motif on each side of an oval bezel with half-round skull; engraving 'MEMENTO MORI' to the forehead. 31.33 grams, 35.34 mm overall, 19.25 mm internal diameter (approximate size British Q, USA 8, Europe 17.49, Japan 16)



From a private collection, Warwickshire, UK. Property of a Buckinghamshire, UK, gentleman collector. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.