Lot 0279
Khlebnikov. Russian Icon of the Guardian Angel in Cloisonné Enamel, Moscow, late 19th century
Estimate: 1000-1200€
Khlebnikov. Russian Icon of Saint Guardian Angel in Neo-byzantine style
Silver, cloisonné enamel.
Makers mark of «I.KH» with Imperial warrant. Moscow, the end of the 19th century.
Silver, cloisonné enamel (Byzantine technique)
This icon is executed in the Byzantine enamel technique, distinguished by bright polychrome en plein surfaces, deep translucence, and precise detail. The Saint Angle is depicted frontally, holding in the left hand sphere and the cross in the right one. The figure is adorned in richly coloured vestments with enamel in palette of white, blue, yellow and red, framed by a finely worked nimbus with stylised spiral ornament.
The Khlebnikov firm, founded in Moscow in 1867, was one of the foremost Russian producers of silver and enamelware in the late Imperial period. Known as Supplier to the Imperial Court, the workshop gained renown for reviving and modernising ancient Russian and Byzantine decorative traditions. Its masters excelled in cloisonné enamel, producing icons, liturgical objects, tableware, and presentation pieces, many of which were exhibited at international exhibitions and awarded highest prizes.
This plaque exemplifies Khlebnikov’s interpretation of Byzantine heritage, combining medieval artistic vocabulary with the technical perfection and luxurious materials typical of Russian decorative arts at the turn of the century.
Starting price: 800€
Estimate: 1000-1200€
Hammer Price: €
Related Lots
-
Lot 0277
Russian Icon of Christ Pantokrator
Estimate: 6000-8000€
Lot 0277
Russian Icon of Christ Pantokrator
Estimate: 6000-8000€Icon of Christ Pantokrator. Silver, gilding, cloisonné enamel, oil painting on wood.
Maker mark of «EAK». Moscow, 1898-1908.
Dimensions: 13.5 x 9 x 2.3 cm.
Total weight: 222.2 gIcon of Christ Pantokrator in a silver-gilt oklad decorated with cloisonné enamel. The central panel depicts Christ painted in oil on wood: His right hand raised in blessing, His left holding an open Gospel with the inscription “I am the Light of the World.” The enamel cover is richly ornamented with an arch of floral motifs and a border of geometric patterns in red and blue, enhancing the solemnity of the image.
The hallmark [EAK] refers to Emelyan Alekseevich Kuznetsov, owner of a silver workshop founded in 1886. According to records from 1897, the workshop produced silver icon covers valued at 5,000 rubles. At that time, it employed 13 men, 6 adolescents, and 6 boys (silver, chased icon oklad, State Historical Museum). In 1898, the workshop is listed at Pereyaslavskaya Street, in Kuznetsov’s own house, Moscow.Starting price: 5000€
Estimate: 6000-8000€
Hammer Price: € -
Lot 0278
Ovchinnikov. Fine Russian Silver-Gilt and Cloissone Enamel Travel Icon of St. Vladimir
Estimate: 7000-9000€
Lot 0278
Ovchinnikov. Fine Russian Silver-Gilt and Cloissone Enamel Travel Icon of St. Vladimir
Estimate: 7000-9000€Ovchinnikov. A Russian Silver-Gilt and Cloisonné Enamel Travel Icon of St. Vladimir
Maker’s mark “PO”. Moscow, 1899–1908
Silver (84 zolotniks), gilt, cloisonné enamel, polychrome en-plein enamel
Dimensions (with hanger): 10 × 6.3 cm
Weight: 84 gThis finely crafted travel icon depicts St. Vladimir, the Baptizer of Rus’, rendered in enoplein polychrome enamels within an ornate silver-gilt frame. The saint is shown crowned, holding a red cross in his right hand and a sword in his left, symbolizing both his royal authority and his spiritual mission. Above, on the suspension loop, appears the Mandylion—the image of Christ.
The piece was made by the celebrated Moscow workshop of Pavel Akimovich Ovchinnikov, one of the leading jewelers of the Russian Empire. Founded in 1853, Ovchinnikov’s firm was the first in Russia to produce works in the Old Russian style, reviving medieval decorative traditions through cloisonné enamel and filigree.
Renowned for its exceptional craftsmanship and artistry, the Ovchinnikov factory collaborated with prominent Russian artists and architects such as Ippolit Monighetti, Alexander Opekushin, Eugene Lanceray, and Viktor Vasnetsov. The firm supplied the Imperial Court and the Orthodox Church with liturgical items, including altar Gospels, processional crosses, icon covers, chalices, and censers, achieving the highest artistic standards of its time.
Comparable examples:
Sotheby’s, Russian Works of Art, Fabergé & Icons, London, June 2014, lot 507 https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2014/russian-works-art-faberge-icons-l14116/lot.507.html
Christie’s, Russian Works of Art, Fabergé and Icons, London, November 2014, lot 38 https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5896351Starting price: 6000€
Estimate: 7000-9000€
Hammer Price: € -
Lot 0281
Russian Icon of Christ Pantokrator with Silver-Gilt Riza, Moscow, circa 1880
Estimate: 150-200€
Lot 0281
Russian Icon of Christ Pantokrator with Silver-Gilt Riza, Moscow, circa 1880
Estimate: 150-200€A Russian Icon of Christ Pantokrator
Mosocw, circa 1880.
Silver, partially gilded, engraved; oil painted. Marks: stamped on the side with 84 zolotnik silver standard and Moscow assay mark.
Dimensions: 6.7 × 5.5 × 1 cm.
A small rectangular traditional icon representing Christ Pantokrator in half-length, shown raising His right hand in blessing and holding the orb in His left. The image is covered with a finely engraved silver riza, the face and hands left visible through shaped apertures in the traditional manner. The surface is enriched with delicate linear work defining the folds of the robes, the cross-halo, and the architectural frame, while the spandrels are accented with restrained geometric ornament.Starting price: 100€
Estimate: 150-200€
Hammer Price: € -
Lot 0280
Ovchinnikov. Travel Icon of the Kazan Mother of God in Cloisonné Enamel, Moscow, 1899–1908
Estimate: 5000-7000€
Lot 0280
Ovchinnikov. Travel Icon of the Kazan Mother of God in Cloisonné Enamel, Moscow, 1899–1908
Estimate: 5000-7000€Ovchinnikov. Travel Icon of the Mother of God Kazan
Moscow, firm of Pavel Akimovich Ovchinnikov, 1899-1908.
Silver-gilt, cloisonné enamel, polychrome enamel on guilloché ground.
Marked: maker’s mark “ПО”, Moscow assay mark, 84 zolotnik silver standard.
A finely executed Russian travel icon in Neo-Bysantine style depicting the Mother of God with the Christ Child in a compact rectangular silver-gilt frame. The sacred image is rendered in delicate polychrome en-plein enamels, with the Virgin shown in a dark maphorion accented by red enamel crosses, and the Christ Child draped in luminous blue robes. The suspension loop is enriched with cloisonné enamel ornament in white and red, lending the object both a liturgical and jewel-like character.
The icon was produced by the celebrated Moscow firm of Pavel Akimovich Ovchinnikov, one of the most distinguished jewellery and silver workshops of the Russian Empire. Founded in 1853, the firm played a leading role in the revival of the Old Russian style, drawing upon medieval models while bringing them to a high level of technical and artistic finish. Ovchinnikov’s workshop was especially renowned for cloisonné enamel, filigree, and ecclesiastical silver, and supplied both the Imperial Court and the Orthodox Church.
Comparable examples:Sotheby’s, Russian Works of Art, Fabergé & Icons, London, June 2014, lot 507
https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2014/russian-works-art-faberge-icons-l14116/lot.507.html
Christie’s, Russian Works of Art, Fabergé and Icons, London, November 2014, lot 38 https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5896351Starting price: 4000€
Estimate: 5000-7000€
Hammer Price: €