312

Travel diptych depicting the extended Deesis, 18th century

Bronze casting
Height × width: 3 × 5.5 cm Weight: 16 g.
Diptychs of this type were particularly widespread among the Old Believers. These objects, often cast in bronze and sometimes enriched with coloured enamels, were generally small in size and intended for private devotion. Their portability made them easy to carry and, when necessary, to conceal, thus responding to the religious needs of a community that, following the schism known as the *Raskol*, endured periods of persecution by the official Russian Orthodox Church. The surface appears worn because the Old Believers considered tarnish (oxidation or darkening) a sign of corruption, and for this reason they wished metal icons to remain constantly polished. When an icon began to oxidize, it was simply rubbed quickly with a cloth, sometimes lightly dusted with chalk, sand, ash, or brick powder, restoring it immediately to its original brilliance.
28/07/2026 20:12:39
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40,00 €
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Live auction 396

OLD ORTHODOX ICONS FROM 17TH UNTIL 20TH CENTURY. Including a collection of important Traveling Russian Icons

Palazzo Caetani Lovatelli, tue 29 September 2026
SINGLE SESSION 29/09/2026 Hours 15:00
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