ICON ‘THE MOTHER OF GOD OF THE SIGN (ZNAMENIYE)’ IN GUBKIN SILVER AND PEARL OKLAD Moscow, mid-19th century

Oklad: silver, embossing, engraving, gilding, embroidery, river pearls Hallmarks: master’s mark in Cyrillic ‘IG’ for Ivan Semenovich Gubkin, assay master’s mark in Cyrillic ‘I.A’ above the date 1861 for Avdeev I. (1852-1862); ‘84’ silver standard mark and coat of arms of the city of Moscow wood, levkas, gold leaf, tempera 31 x 27.4 cm Condition: overall good condition, minor retouches on the faces, minor loss of river pearls. The silver oklad is in good condition. The icon, decorated with laconic and elegant ornamentation, is of high collectible value as a work by the famous master Ivan Semenovich Gubkin. ‘The Sign’ is the image of the Annunciation and the promise of the Birth of Christ: it shows the Mother of God with her hands raised in prayer and the Holy Child in her womb in a circle (Orante-type icon). Ivan Semenovich Gubkin was a master jeweller, merchant and manufacturer, founder of a silverware factory in 1841 in Moscow. His business was continued by his sons, first Sergei Ivanovich, and then Dmitri Ivanovich. From 1855, Gubkin became the Supplier to the Court of His Imperial Majesty. He participated in the Russian Industrial Exhibitions of 1861 in St. Petersburg and 1865 in Moscow.