226 - PAVEL OVCHINNIKOV FACTORY

PAVEL OVCHINNIKOV FACTORY KAZAN ICON OF THE MOTHER OF GOD IN A SILVER OKLAD. P. A. OVCHINNIKOV FACTORY, MOSCOW, RUSSIA, 1890. 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. Width: 30cm, Height: 34.5cm, Depth: 6cm, Weight: 3.050kg, Condition: Very good, Material: Silver 91, ID: ID-ANTQ-16528