The icon of Christ Pantocrator represents one of the most important images of Orthodox Christian iconography. Christ is depicted frontally, raising His right hand in blessing and holding an open Gospel Book in His left hand. The painted image follows the traditions of Russian icon painting of the second half of the 19th century, distinguished by the delicate modelling of the facial features and the profound spiritual expression of the composition.
The icon is enclosed in a Moscow-made silver-gilt oklad dating from 1885, mounted within its original hand-forged retaining frame. The silver riza is executed in repoussé and engraving techniques, with finely detailed rendering of Christ’s garments, textile textures and ornamental elements. The surface combines polished and matte finishes, enhancing the depth of the relief decoration and demonstrating the high quality of craftsmanship.
Of particular artistic importance is the applied silver halo, decorated with polychrome cloisonné enamel. The ornamental composition follows traditional motifs of Russian decorative art, featuring rich shades of blue, turquoise, green, white and red enamel. The presence of a separate maker’s mark on the enamel element indicates that the halo was produced by a specialised Moscow workshop, a practice typical of high-quality commissioned icon oklads of the late 19th century.
The lower enamel plaque bears the inscription “Lord Almighty”, executed in stylised Old Russian script.
Marks: Maker’s mark “ИЕ” within a rectangular punch - a Moscow silversmith active during the second half of the 19th century; Moscow assay mark with the initials of assay master “A.S” and the date “1885”; Moscow city mark depicting Saint George the Victorious; silver standard mark “84” (875/1000 silver). The silver enamel halo bears an additional mark of a specialised Moscow workshop with a partially legible Cyrillic maker’s mark “Ф...М”, together with the silver standard mark “84”.
Dimensions: Height: 31 cm; width: 26 cm; depth: 3 cm.
Weight: 1.465 kg.
Russian icons mounted in precious silver oklads from the second half of the 19th century represent an important field of decorative and applied art of the Russian Empire. Moscow during this period was one of the leading centres for the production of ecclesiastical silver, where major jewellery houses, silversmiths and specialised enamel workshops combined the traditions of ancient Russian art with the technical achievements of their time.
The image of Christ Pantocrator is among the oldest and most significant subjects of Christian iconography, originating from the Byzantine artistic tradition. Christ is represented as the Heavenly King and Ruler of the Universe, holding the Gospel and offering His blessing. In Russian Orthodox culture, this image occupied a central position both in church iconostases and in private devotional collections.
During the second half of the 19th century, particularly under the reign of Emperor Alexander III, Russian artists and craftsmen increasingly turned towards national artistic heritage. The Russian Revival style drew inspiration from medieval Russian architecture, manuscript ornamentation, ecclesiastical objects of the 16th and 17th centuries and traditional Moscow craftsmanship. Silver icon oklads of this period became not merely protective coverings for sacred images, but independent masterpieces of jewellery art.
Cloisonné enamel on silver became one of the most distinctive achievements of Russian decorative art in the late 19th century. The creation of such elements required exceptional technical skill: fine silver wires formed the ornamental cells, which were then filled with coloured enamel powders and fired at high temperatures. In Moscow workshops, complex enamel components were often produced by specialised masters before being combined with the work of silversmiths.
This icon, created in 1885, reflects the high artistic level of Moscow ecclesiastical craftsmanship during the period of Historicism and the Russian national artistic revival. It combines traditional Orthodox icon painting, masterful silver repoussé work, gilding and the sophisticated art of multicoloured cloisonné enamel.
he icon is preserved in good collector’s condition. The silver-gilt oklad retains the expressive quality of its repoussé decoration and polychrome cloisonné enamel. The original forged retaining frame has been preserved. Minor signs of age, natural silver patina, local enamel losses and slight wear to the gilding are present, consistent with the age of the object.
The condition report is provided for informational purposes only.
It is not comprehensive and may not reflect all defects, restorations, alterations, or adaptations, as Antiqon does not perform professional conservation-level assessments. The information is based on a qualified, yet subjective, evaluation by our specialists.Before purchasing, we recommend consultation with an independent expert.Please also consult our Terms and conditions and Glossary A-Z, which contain important information on lot characteristics and sale conditions.
