Lot 79
A PAIR OF LARGE AND EXQUISITE RUSSIAN ICONS, THE MOTHER OF GOD AND CHRIST, CIRCA1800. The matching pair meant to be displayed together, perhaps in a small private chapel or shrine, comprising an icon of the Uncut Stone Mother of God, here seated on an ornate throne with the Christ child in her left arm, a stone before her breast, a ladder in her right hand and between them both a half-length image of Christ crowned and robed as a bishop (the Great High Priest). The ladder is a symbol of Mary in the Akathist Canon – “The Heavenly ladder by which God came down to earth.” The stone is taken from Daniel 2:34: “Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands…” the stone symbolizing Christ, born of a virgin. The ornate cartouche along the upper border exhibits a highly stylized and condensed title in Old Church Slavonic, “The Image of the GORA NERUKOSECHNAYA – Uncut Stone." Together with a similarly executed image of Christ. While the inscription along the upper margin identifies the Christ image as the standard GOSPOD VSEDERZHITEL – The Lord Almighty, the clothing worn by Christ, Bishop’s mitre and omofor, would generally make such an image referred to as The Great High Priest, as found in Hebrews 4:14 “…we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus Christ the Son of God…”. The book which Christ holds is a book of Gospels opened to Mathew 11:28 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Both icons share a similar graduated background and extensive ornamentation in the vestments and thrones of the type later developed by the various icon painting villages located northeast of Moscow. 38.25 inches x 24.25 inches (97 x 61.5cm).
Estimate:  $30,000 - 50,000   € 21,000 - 35,000

Price Realized: $52,800.00