Discover your personalized shipping cost — based on where you are and how you prefer to receive your piece..
A rare and expressive Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, executed in the tradition of late nineteenth-century Moscow icon painting. The sacred image is painted in oil on a wooden panel and set beneath a magnificent silver-gilt oklad made in the workshops of Pavel Akimovich Ovchinnikov, one of the foremost Russian jewellers of the second half of the nineteenth century and an official Supplier to the Imperial Court.
The silver-gilt oklad is richly decorated with finely chased and engraved ornament of exceptional workmanship. The borders are covered with a dense all-over pattern of stylised rosettes, creating an elaborate decorative surface characteristic of the finest examples of late nineteenth-century Moscow silverwork. The haloes of the Mother of God and the Christ Child are worked in high openwork relief with refined foliate motifs, emphasising the solemn and sacred character of the image. The icon is distinguished by the softly modelled faces, its refined palette and the harmonious interplay between the painted image and the luminous surface of the gilt oklad. The icon is preserved in its original wooden kiot, the reverse lined with velvet.
Hallmarks: Maker`s mark beneath the Imperial double-headed eagle, P. Ovchinnikov; Moscow assay mark with the silver standard 84; Moscow assay district mark; hallmarks dating from 1889-1896.
Dimensions: 31.5 × 26.5 cm (icon); 34.5 × 30 cm (kiot).
Weight: 1002.8 g.
Condition: Good. The gilding and chased decoration are well preserved. The painted image is without losses. The kiot is in excellent condition.
During the second half of the nineteenth century, Moscow emerged as one of the principal centres of Russian jewellery and silverwork. Major firms such as those of P. A. Ovchinnikov and I. P. Khlebnikov combined traditional techniques of precious-metal craftsmanship with a renewed interest in Russia`s national artistic heritage. The Moscow Kremlin Museums have highlighted the important role played by the Ovchinnikov firm in the revival of historic jewellery techniques, and its works rank among the most significant examples of Russian silverwork of the period.
The firm founded by Pavel Akimovich Ovchinnikov occupied an exceptional position among Moscow`s leading jewellery and silversmithing establishments. Its work gained recognition throughout the Russian Empire and at major international exhibitions. At the Vienna World`s Fair of 1873, Pavel Ovchinnikov was awarded the Iron Cross and a Grand Gold Medal, while his firm also executed commissions for the Imperial Court. Ecclesiastical silver and precious icon oklads formed an important part of the firm`s production. The State Hermitage Museum, for example, preserves an oklad for an icon of Saint Prince Alexander Nevsky made by the Ovchinnikov firm in 1879 to commemorate the deliverance of Emperor Alexander II from an assassination attempt. The collections of the Moscow Kremlin Museums likewise include works of ecclesiastical art associated with this celebrated Moscow firm.
The present Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, dated 1890, belongs to the flourishing period of Moscow artistic silverwork. Its richly gilded oklad with chased and engraved decoration continues the longstanding tradition of precious coverings for Orthodox icons, in which icon painting and the craftsmanship of the silversmith combine to form a unified artistic ensemble. The conjunction of the revered Kazan iconography of the Mother of God, late nineteenth-century Moscow workmanship and an oklad by the P. A. Ovchinnikov firm gives the work considerable historical, artistic and collecting significance.
Good overall condition. The gilding and chased decoration of the oklad are well preserved. The painted image is without visible losses. The original wooden kiot is in excellent condition, retaining the well-preserved velvet lining to the reverse.
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.
