LOT 59
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Lot 59
A RUSSIAN OLD BELIEVERS ICON OF THE O ALL-HYMNED MOTHER, FROLOV WORKSHOP, CIRCA 1890. While little is known about the prototype for this icon it was nevertheless a popular image in the 19th century. Here the Mother of God holds the infant Christ in a tender embrace. In place of the usual three stars on her head and shoulders, signifying her perpetual virginity, they are replaced with circles containing faces. The faces appear to be angels; stars represented as intelligent beings, as in the Book of Enoch. The Virgin’s veil is edged with a band containing Slavonic lettering representing Kontakion Thirteen from the Akathist Canon, beginning at mid lower left, “O All-Hymned Mother bearer of the holiest of holies Word, Accept what we offer now…” . The verso of icon with impressed stamp of the Frolov Brothers icon painting studio (see illustration). The entire image overlaid with a spectacular chased silver gilt and shaded enamel riza with cabochons and paste stones, probably second half of the 20th century, and bearing earlier Moscow hallmarks and Cyrillic makers initials OK. 12.25 inches x 10.5 inches (31 x 26.5 cm).
Estimate:
$15,000 - 20,000
€ 10,500 - 14,000
Gavriil Efimovich Frolov (1854-1930) was born into a family of Old Believer icon painters in the village of Mytkovka in Chernigov Province. He studied icon painting under the tutelage of his father. In 1875, he helped decorate the Old Believers Church of the Transfiguration in Moscow. Later he moved to the village of Raya on Lake Peipus in present day Estonia. There he founded an icon workshop where he instructed numerous iconographers in the traditional Old Style of the type favored by the Old Believers. Frolov was an Old Believer of the Fedoseyan concord; therefore his mode of life was severe and ascetical. His devotion to his faith inspired him to channel all his earnings to various church related projects and schooling. He was not only a master iconographer but also well versed in traditional chant and the Old Church Slavonic language, both of which he taught. One of Frolov’s many noted students was iconographer Pimen Sofronov (1893-1973).
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