**First Time At Auction**

Eastern Europe, Russia, St. Petersburg, ca. 1788 CE. Bottom periphery is stamped with maker's mark, assayer's mark with year, silver standard mark, and town mark. An opulent icon of known as "Joy of All Who Sorrow" featuring the image of the Mother of God or Theotokos at the center surrounded by angels, saints, and lay people, all delineated in egg tempera and gesso on wood with a gilt silver oklad. The image depicts Mary at the center, standing before a throne with angels to either side as suffering supplicants below ask for her intercession. The Holy Mother grasps a scroll in one hand and a scepter in the other while Christ the King observes from Heaven above. Lustrous coppering and vibrant pigments delineate the scene, while the assayer's mark on the oklad confirms this piece was made in 1788. Size: 5.2" W x 6.7" H (13.2 cm x 17 cm); silver quality: 90%; weight of oklad only: 94 grams

The icon that served as inspiration for this example was first believed to create a miracle in the year 1688. A woman named Evfimiya, who was the sister of Patriarch Loachim, suffered from an incurable disease. One day as she was praying, Evfimiya heard a voice who proclaimed, “Evfimiya! Go to the Church of the Transfiguration of my son. There is the image called “Joy of All Who Suffer.” The church was in Moscow where Evfimiy lived. She listened and followed the instructions of the mysterious voice and soon was cured.

The oklad (also spelled oclad) or riza, sometimes referred to as a revetment in English, is a metal cover that not only protects the icon, but also serves to honor or venerate the figure(s) depicted on the icon. Oklads are usually adorned with skillfully cut, engraved, and/or repousse work and pierced to reveal elements of the underlying painting as we see in this example.

Icons (icon means "image" in Greek) are sacred objects within the Eastern Orthodox Christian tradition. Found in homes as well as churches, these painted images depict holy persons and saints as well as illustrate scenes from the Scriptures. Icons are not worshiped, but are instead venerated for their ability to focus the power of an individual's prayer to God. As a focus for prayers and meditation for believers, icons serve as "windows into heaven."

Provenance: private Niwot, Colorado, USA collection

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#176837

Some chipping and losses to tempera, as well as expected surface wear throughout, but otherwise in excellent condition. Bottom periphery is stamped with maker's mark, assayer's mark with year, silver standard mark, and town mark. Suspension wire on verso for display.