19th C. Russian Icon - Saint Olga Of Kiev - Apr 27, 2017 | Artemis Gallery In Co
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19th C. Russian Icon - Saint Olga of Kiev

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19th C. Russian Icon - Saint Olga of Kiev
19th C. Russian Icon - Saint Olga of Kiev
Item Details
Description
Eastern Europe, Russia, ca. 19th century CE. A beautiful icon depicting Saint Olga of Kiev (ca. 890 - 969 CE, the first recorded female ruler in Russia and the first member of the ruling family of Kiev to adopt Christianity) in egg tempera and gold leaf on wood with a striking faux enamelwork border of periwinkle blue crosses, mint green foliage and abstract diamond motifs, as well as red and white highlights on a gold and rich brown ground, all trimmed in a delicate white beaded pattern. The inscription flanking the standing Saint Olga reads (on the left) S[la]v[a] Ravnoapost[olnaya] “Blessed equal to the apostles” and (on the right) Knyagina Olga “Princess Olga.” The haloed and bejeweled Princess wears special attire appropriate for a newly-baptized Christian as well as an honorable deaconess of the Russian Church. In her right hand, she holds a cross. Martyrs are typically shown holding a cross; however, this may be because she brought a piece of the True Cross from Constantinople to the Kiev Sophia temple which she built. In her left hand, she holds a model of a church on a piece of cloth, symbolizing the many churches built during her reign. Size: 9" W x 10.5" H (22.9 cm x 26.7 cm)

Saint Olga, Equal of the Apostles, was the wife of Prince Igor and during their reign, the struggle of Christianity with paganism entered a new phase with the Church of Christ becoming a major spiritual as well as political force in Russia during the years following Igor's reign in the 10th century. A text written by a chronicler in "Tale of Bygone Years" from a treaty between Igor and the Greeks in 944 attests to this. She is well known for defeating the Drevlians, a group that killed her beloved Igor, and for spreading Christianity throughout Russia. When her husband died, her son was only three years old; therefore, Olga officially ruled Kievan Rus until he reached adulthood - but this did not come easily. The Drevlians wanted Olga to marry their Prince Mal, hence making Mal the ruler of Kievan Rus; however, Olga would not comply as she was determined to remain in power in order to preserve the reign for her son. The Drevlians sent twenty men to persuade her to marry Mal and sacrifice her rule. Olga in turn had them buried alive. Next, she sent word to Prince Mal that she had accepted his marriage proposal, but that he must send his most elite men to accompany her on her journey in order for her people to accept the marriage. When they arrived, Olga welcomed them and offered them a space to clean up after their long, arduous journey. Once they entered, she locked the doors and set the building on fire. But her task was far from over; she next invited the mourners to a funeral feast. Once they were drunk, she had them killed as well. Her punitive measures continued until she remained the regent ruler of Kievan Rus with strong support from her people and her army. She continued tirelessly to evade marriage proposals, defended the city during the Siege of Kiev in 968, and in the end did save the power of the throne for her son. Her grandson Vladimir Sviatoslavich the Great eventually converted the whole nation to Christianity, and for this, Olga was honored as a Saint.

Lastly, Olga of Kiev was the first Rus ruler to convert to Christianity, in either 945 or 957 according to scholars. Emperor Constantine VII briefly described the ceremonies of her formal reception in Constantinople in his book De Ceremoniis. After her baptism, Olga took the Christian name Yelena, which derived from the reigning Empress Helena Lekapena. Interestingly, these chronicles add apocryphal details to the account of her baptism, including the story of how she charismatically charmed Constantine and snubbed his proposals of marriage. This said, at the time of her baptism, Olga was actually an elderly woman, and Constantine already had a wife.

Provenance: private Francis & Lilly Robicsek collection, Charlotte, North Carolina USA

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#119435
Condition
The painted imagery is very strong with expected age patina and minor surface wear. There are a few losses to the enamelwork border as shown. On the verso are several inactive insect holes and losses.
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19th C. Russian Icon - Saint Olga of Kiev

Estimate $1,400 - $2,100
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Starting Price $700
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