AN ICON ‘SAINTS GREGORY THE THEOLOGIAN, BASIL THE GREAT AND JOHN CHRYSOSTOM’ IN A SILVER OKLAD Central Russia, early 19th century
Lot 270
800900
tempera, levkas, gold leaf (?) on wood panel
oklad: silver, chased, embossed
hallmarks: master’s mark in Cyrillic ‘I.U.’; silver mark ‘84’ on the halos
30 x 24.5 cm
Condition: the icon has been restored, fragmentary toning, the central halo has been replaced.
The silver oklad is embossed and chased with palmettes and foliage in empire style. The icon depicts three great hierarchs, Doctors of the Church, prominent theologians and preachers, most revered in the Christian world. Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom are the creators of the liturgy. The first images of all three hierarchs have been known in Russia since the 11th century.