Russia, Imperial. An Icon of the Saviour of Blessed Silence, c. 1895

A well-preserved and expertly-written icon of the Saviour of Blessed Silence. Presented on a gently vaulted and gessoed wooden board and executed in hand-painted pigments, the image consists of a depiction of a pre-incarnate Christ in the form of an angel, complete with wings, a bishop’s crown, and a halo featuring a seven-pointed red and blue slava, the colours symbolizing his divinity and humanity, and the points harkening to the days of creation and rest as God brought the heavens and Earth into being. The face of Christ assumes a red tint to further demonstrate the power of his divinity, while he wears a red priest’s robe with trimming highlighted in gold leaf. His folded hands clutch a Calvary-style Orthodox Cross, while a banner laid across his left shoulder bears a Slavonic inscription of “CHRIST REIGNS, CHRIST COMMANDS, CHRIST PROTECTS”, situated within a brown border topped by a Slavonic inscription of “JESUS BLESSED SILENCE”. The top edge is inset with a magnetic metal suspension loop driven directly into the core of the wood. Measuring 10.75 cm (w) x 13.5 cm (h), moderate chipping is visible throughout the layer of plaster, resulting in the loss of some paint to the image, while the reverse of the wooden base demonstrates age-appropriate scratching. Produced by a skilled iconographer c. 1900, it remains in a better than very fine condition.