A Russian Wood Carving of the Last Supper, Vasilii Ivanovich Khrustachëv, Sergiev Posad, 1899

the surface delicately carved with a detailed scene of the Last Supper in relief, the title in Cyrillic carved in a small reserve at the front of the base, hinged wooden strut attached to the back

overall good condition
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Vasilii Ivanovich Khrustachev came from an important family of wood carvers from the village of Sergiev Posad who achieved great fame when their work, like the offered lot, was displayed at International Expositions and World's Fairs. (An inscription on the back of this carving indicates that it was acquired at the 1900 Paris International Exposition.) According to E.V. Davydova, the subject of the Last Supper, although unfamiliar in Russian Orthodox art, was produced by a number of Sergiev Posad carvers based on prints after Leonardo da Vinci's renowned composition that were widely distributed in late nineteenth-century Russia. A similar carving by Khrustachev dated 1914 is now in the collection of the Museum of the Orthodox Academy in Sergiev Posad (TsAK MPAD). On the Khrustachev family's ecclesiastical carvings, see E.V. Davydova, "Sergievo-posadskaia miniatiurnaia rez'ba," Moskovskii zhurnal 2003, no. 1, pp. 34-39 and [ibid] "Evlogii iz Troitse-Sergievo Lavry," Pravoslavnyi palomnik 2006, no. 4, pp. 49-54.