A CARVED WOODEN ICON OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE MOTHER OF GOD IN THE TEMPLE SURROUNDED BY OLD TESTAMENT EPISODES
GREEK (MOUNT ATHOS), SIGNED BY THE MONK KOSMAS OF THE HOLY MOUNTAIN, DATED 1889
The icon is signed at the lower border: 1889 The work of Kosmas of the Holy Mountain. This must be the same monk who carved another icon, extremely similar in style to this lot, also focusing on the Presentation of the Mother of God in the Temple, but surrounded by the Tree of Life. The latter icon, which belongs to the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, is signed: The work of Kosmas of Lavra in 1884. This monk was possibly serving in the Monastery of the Great Lavra on Mount Athos, which indeed had a church dedicated to the Presentation of the Mother of God in the Temple. For the icon of the Tretyakov Gallery, see the catalogue of the exhibition: Athos. Monastic Life on the Holy Mountain (Helsinki, 2006), cat.no.4.17
Text and photo by Christies sold for a little more then $ 150.000 in 2007.
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