A silver-gilt icon of the Akhtirskaya Mother of God, Sazikov, Moscow, 1844

A silver-gilt icon of the Akhtirskaya Mother of God, Sazikov, Moscow, 1844

the virgin depicted in prayer besides Christ on the Cross on a repoussé textured rock mounted with a silver skull and cross bones, her robes repoussé and engraved with foliate scrolls and mounted with silver filigree cuffs and neckline, the border of the oklad chased with foliate scrolls in rococo taste and a trellis pattern at the centre of each side of the border, the sunburst halo applied, the velvet reverse bearing the inscription 'to the Christ loving and esteemed citizen Mikhail Mikhailovich Bashkin, and to his family as a blessing, [Smaragd] Archbishop of Astrakhan, 10 May 1843, Astrakhan', struck with maker's mark and the Imperial Warrant, 84 standard

32 by 26.7cm; 12½by 10½in.