Russian Orthodox Painted Icon of St Nicholas. 18th century AD. A painted icon on a slightly convex rectangular wooden base with mounting slots to the reverse; tempera and gold leaf; facing nimbate image of St. Nikolas in dalmatic with right hand raised in the pax gesture, left hand holding an open bible with Cyrillic text, elaborate saltires to the body and crosses to the chest, embroidered and bejewelled borders; small figure of Christ to the upper left corner, marked 'XC'; Mary to the upper right, marked 'OY'; flanking nimbate figures in the lateral margins, red Cyrillic text flanking the head.See Weizmann, K. et al., The Icon, New York, 1982, for discussion.883 grams, 30.5 x 25cm (12 x 9 3/4"). Property of a Surrey gentleman; acquired 2010 from a private European collector living in South Kensington, London, UK; this lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by AIAD certificate number no. 10624-159743.