Description:

A HIGHLY IMPORTANT IMPERIAL RUSSIAN MICROMOSAIC PRESENTATION TRIPTYCH, ST. PETERSBURG 1855. The central section with ogee arch reserve set with a removable micro mosaic pectoral pendant icon of exceptional quality depicting St. Nicholas, probably by noted Imperial Court mosaicist George Ferdinand Wekler (1800-1861). The mosaic with gilded silver palmetto border and set within a silver-gilt frame with integral suspension loop at top and displaying a hinged swivel gilded sunburst finial mounted with a mosaic all-seeing-eye. Both the left and right wings inset with removable carved crucifixes (one replaced, and each inscribed on verso C???? ? C??????-Save and Protect. The left hinged wing finely engraved with the images of St. John Chrysostom, St. Gregory "Dvoeslova," - Pope of Rome, St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory the Theologian (The Three Hierarchs). The right hinged wing finely engraved with the images of the four Moscow Metropolitants, St. John, St. Phillip, St. Peter and St. Alexei. The upper section of both wings finely engraved in Old Church Slavonic with a continuous prayer, apparently much of it being a Troparion to the Venerable Sergei of Radonezh, as used on the day of his commemoration. Beginning on the left and continuing on the right it reads: "My heart is wounded; heal me of my many sins, Savior, for you are the physician of body and soul. And attend my prayers, pardon & grant all healing through your righteousness, and bless these roves for you are good and all merciful." And continuing on the right "As a virtuous ascetic, as a true warrior of Christ God, you struggled in Great suffering in temporal life; in chanting, vigilance, as well as in fasting you were an image to your disciples; therefore the Holy Spirit rejoices in you, for you are an active ornament of light. Yet having boldness toward the Holy Trinity, you recalled your flock that they be gathered in wisdom, and did not forget, for you promised to visit your children, venerable Sergei, our father." Each section hallmarked St. Petersburg and with the 84 silver standard, the central panel dated 1855, and each section with maker's mark "C.E." within an oval, for noted St. Petersburg Silversmith Carl Ernst. Height 6.75 inches, Width 7.4 inches (open x 7.5 inches) (17.5 x 19 cm).

It is obvious from the exceptional high quality of workmanship; this triptych was presented by someone of enormous wealth, most likely Tsar Nicholas I, to someone of high ecclesial status. One might surmise that this presentation icon triptych was presented to a certain cleric, possibly named Sergei, upon his consecration to Bishop or higher office. This would seem to be confirmed by the bishop's vestments worn by all the depicted Saints.

According to J. Hanisee Gabriel ( The Gilbert Collection-Micromosaics. London, 2000, pp. 290-291), George Ferdinand Wekler "is the most celebrated Russian master of micromosaics." Weckler (1800-1861) was born in Riga in 1800. His family moved to St. Petersburg where he was trained in drawing and mathematics in preparation for a military career. Wekler preferred the arts, so at the age of fourteen, he was allowed to go to Moscow where he was apprenticed to a glass painter. The Roman micromosaic artist (Domenico) Mogloa who was visiting Moscow at the time, is said to have spotting glass Easter eggs painted by Wekler in a shop window and asked to meet the artist. Wekler was then invited to study and work with Moglia with whom he stayed for two years, declining an invitation to visit Rome with him. He returned to St. Petersburg in 1821 and so impressed Alexander I that he was named "master mosaicist" at the Academy of Fine Arts, being commissioned to copy various paintings in mosaic from the Imperial collections and to produce landscape views of the Imperial estates. Between 1834 and 1837 he visited Rome, winning a gold medal from the Pope for this life-sized copy of Raphael's Transfiguration, commissioned by Emperor Nicholas I. on returning to Russia, he continued to accrue further honors, becoming director of the mosaic workshops of St. Isaac's cathedral in 1842.

Carl Earnst is recorded as a goldsmith in St. Petersburg from 1800 until the 1850's and in 1849, with a shop or workshop in Sarychev's house on the Nevsky Prospekt (A. von Solodkoff, Russian Gold and Silver. Fribourg, 1981, p 218; A.N Ivanov, Gold and silversmiths in Russia, vol II. No.4909)

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November 20, 2019 10:00 AM CST
Cedar Falls, IA, US

Jackson's International

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