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KAZAN MOTHER OF GOD

Creator(s): Unknown (Painter) , Rodion Artemev (Silversmith)

On view in: Russian Sacred Arts Gallery


About this object

The Kazan Mother of God is shown bust length head inclined to the right, the Child three quarter length standing face forward right arm extended, hand in gesture of blessing. She wears a warm brown maphorion with wide gold border and gold stars on her forehead and right shoulder. A green turban and the top of a green underrobe can be glimpsed beneath her maphorion. Christ wears a hymation with chrysography over a sea-green chiton which has traces of a scattered gold pattern. Both faces have delicate facial features in a full face with white highlights. The heads are surrounded by plain gold haloes that appear to have been painted over the tan ground; hers extends up onto the top border. The inscriptions are written in gold and a gold line outlines the silhouettes. The board has a carved kovcheg but the brown ground of the kovcheg extends into the border. There is a double red and green filenka on three sides only. All but the faces and Christ's right hand are covered by an elaborate silver gilt oklad, with a row of raised bosses at along the edges and three oval repousse medallions on each side, framed and linked vertically by garlands of leaves and flowers. On the upper two the letters MR and FU are engraved, in the middle right IS KhS, halves projecting and attached, with lacy edge, headdress of Madonna with overall small bosses and an eight pointed star in relief, another star on right shoulder. The board has two transverse shponki.

Object name:
KAZAN MOTHER OF GOD
Made from:
Tempera on wood -- gilded silver
Made in:
Iaroslavl, Russia
Date made:
1767-1799
Size:
31.4 × 27.9 cm (12 3/8 × 11 in.)

Detailed information for this item

Catalog number:
54.85
Class:
ICON
Signature marks:
MARK OKLAD: on bottom edge of the venets and bottom edge of oklad 1) 1796 GL (in square) for tester Grigorii Liusinov, 1766-1895, 2) standing bear with axe for Iaroslavl, 3) RA (in square) for maker Rodion Artem'ev INSCRIPTION ICON: on recto "MR" "FU" "IS KHR" "KAZANSKI PRTYIA BTS" (above her right shoulder); on verso a scratched inscription parallel to PR side that may read "TROFIMU GRIGORONU" ("To Trofim Grigoron")
Credit line:
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Milton Turner, 1981