Tempera and gold on wood; silver, gilt; champlevé enamel; wood
Russian (Mstera School), around 1900
Oklad marked with master’s mark ‘????????’ (Sergej Borisov), assay master’s mark ‘B.C. 1877’ (Viktor Savinkov, 1855-1888), fineness ‘84’ and Moscow city mark St. George fighting the dragon
Presented in a large kyot carved of wood
Dimensions: icon 31 x 27 cm; kyot 71 x 50 cm
Very good condition
Icon of the Archangel Michael as commander-in-chief, with elaborated silver-gilt oklad
Provenance: German private collection

Archangel Michael’s oversized and majestic stature, attired in dazzling gold and jeweled armor, haloed, with large wings, a flowing red cape and matching boots, stands on swirling clouds and faces the viewer as he pulls out his sword from the sheath. The archangel wears a diadem on his head. His finely rendered facial features, framed by dark, long locks project against the golden halo. The representation of the archangel takes place on a rocky plateau with sparse vegetation in the foreground, separated by a river from the densely built city on the opposite bank. The sky is painted in light blue, gradually turning pink in the horizon. The upper part of the ochre border includes an image of the Holy Mandylion. The silver-gilt oklad with raised border is decorated in a lattice pattern. The Mandylion, wings and clouds are applied with silver features, which emulate the iconography on the wooden panel. The spandrels and nameplate are executed in blue champlevé enamel. The icon is presented in a large kyot.

The oklad is marked with the master’s mark ‘????????’ (Sergej Borisov), the assay master’s mark ‘B.C. 1877’ (Viktor Savinkov, 1855-1888), the fineness ‘84’ and the Moscow city mark St. George fighting the dragon. It is in very good and restored condition. Some fine craquelé and cracks are visible in the paint. There are two spot of color loss in the halo. The icon’s back is covered in red velvet. The icon measures 31 x 27 cm and the kyot is 71 x 50 cm in size. (tm)

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