Beschreibung:

POST MEDIEVAL RUSSIAN ICON OF ST NIKITA 18th century AD A rectangular wooden icon with tempera painted scene in a recess, nimbate St. Nikita (Никита) standing in Byzantine military dress with red cloak, lenticular shield, cuirass with pteruges; lower left, scene with nimbate Nikita and attendant facing a bishop; lower right, nimbate Nikita kneeling in prayer; border with Cyrillic legend above; slots and wooden mounting blocks to the reverse, various graffiti marks, adhesive labels with Russian and German text. 1.3 kg, 32 x 27cm (12 1/2 x 10 1/2"). Fair condition. Provenance From the Alexandra collection, Somerset, UK; previously acquired by a Russian art collector from Sotheby's Amsterdam in 2004; formerly acquired between 1970 and 1972 by one of the largest industrialists from East Germany, who made his fortune in selling cement to Russia, and was subsequently part paid in icons and other important works of art by the Russian government. Accompanied by an original certificate of authenticity from the Ministry of Culture, Moscow, CCCP (USSR), signed and stamped by the director of the national export department, K. Olenev; and signed by the highest ranking scientific expert, Mr E. Morozova; along with a hand written description in German, and a typed German translation of the Russian certificate by Emil J. Janucek, from the office of Terra Handels-Gesellschaft mbH. Footnotes St, Nikita (Nicetas) is a 4th century martyr venerated in the Russian Orthodox Church. Nicetas was a Gothic soldier who fought in the civil war between the pagan leader, Athanaric, and the Christian, Fritigern. After Athanaric's defeat, Nicetas worked with Bishop Wulfila in converting the Goths. He was condemned to death in 372 AD.