Unusual Armenian Attributed Embroidered Icon in Mirrored and Enamelled Frame.
Lot: 40
Probably an icon made to commemorate the massacre of Armenians in World War One.
Circa 1915 - 1920.
The figure of Christ rendered with quilted silk, his beard, hair and crown of thorns of gold threads. Drops of blood rendered in silk thread, drip from the crown toward Christs chest. His red robe, fully embroidered and with gold threads with seed pearls as decoration. All rendered on black velvet, now shot, with gold thread halo, and a band and corners of gilt threads and seed pearls, and red stones. The whole set within a carved black walnut bolection frame, with reverse-painted, mirrored glass panels.
13 x 15..
Condition: Much of the black velvet and some of the silk shot and exhausted. Accent stitching to Christs face done with ink and thread, now worn. Some of the mirroring and glass panels to frame have craked, flaked, etc. One corner decorated mount absent. Still, the image is striking and the stitching work is mostly intact.