Watercolour Painting Group

Formed as an arched doorway with cross finial above, the tympanum embellished with low-relief fronds and flowering plants; scalloped finial below with fleurs-de-lys and flowering plant; both doors with lozengiform panels and studded centres; reverse of both door panels decorated with central quatrefoils within nail-head roundels, flowering plants growing above and below; central panel showing Madonna and Child in high-relief, archangels Michael and Gabriel to left and right, Greek legends 'MP', 'ΘY', 'ICYC'; raised legend 'Geschützt' to back of central panel; suspension loop to reverse. 873 grams, 34.5 cm



Acquired from Germany. Property of a Swiss collector. Property of a Californian, USA, collector. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.

Comprising a flat-section hoop with stamped foliate hearts to the outer face, the inner face inscribed in Latin 'SEMPER AMEMVS' for 'Love Always'. 2.90 grams, 20.90 mm overall, 18.81 mm internal diameter (approximate size British P 1/2, USA 7 3/4, Europe 16.86, Japan 16)



Ex private collection, 1970s. Property of a Nottinghamshire gentleman. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.

Each door a single board with graduated scalloped upper edge, horizontal wooden bars to the reverse, hand-forged iron hinge knuckles and D-section leader to left door; primed with tempera on both faces and painted on the obverse, each with a bottle-green field, blue-grey frontage with vermillion upper storey and gilt roof; Left Door: portion of city wall with tall, narrow building behind, balcony at the upper level with King David standing holding an unfurled scroll, wearing a gilt crown, vermillion tunic and blue mantle; before the wall a winged angel Gabriel holding a frond, wearing a draped mantle over ankle-length chiton and sandals; above, red painted legend 'BOUNA'; to the right edge, a D-section leader painted with red, white and blue diagonal stripes; Right Door: portion of city wall with tall, narrow building behind, balcony at the upper level with King Solomon standing holding a scroll and wearing a gilt crown, similar tunic and mantle to the other; dove descending towards Mary standing before the wall in front of a cushioned throne, with gilt nimbus around her head; red painted legend 'V E S T I R E' above; rare. 13.8 kg total, 132 x 34 cm each



Property of a London, UK, gentleman collector. Accompanied by a copy of a Romanian export licence. 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.12466-229954. 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 'royal doors' (Greek: Ωραία Πύλη) mark the entrance to the iconostasis (wooden screen hiding the altar) in an Eastern Orthodox church.