North Italian, late 15th century

the arched relief carved in three registers with the Annunciation in the centre, the Crucifixion above, and below St. Cosmos and St. Damian with the Donor and his wife, traces of an inscription below

Lord Astor of Hever, Hever Castle

The relief is in very good condition with much original polychromy which has been cleaned and partly refreshed. There is some wear to the surface consistent with age. There are some minor vertical cracks to the wood.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This relief of the Annunciation was probably carved in Lombardy and can be compared to a number of gilt and polychromed 'acone', reliefs within a rounded arch, in churches throughout the region dating to the late 15^th century. These combined the depiction of saints, donors and narratives of the Virgin, usually surmounted by a relief of Christ's passion. The scenes were depicted in several registers in varying scale. In monumental form such reliefs were used as altarpieces, the present relief, on a smaller, more domestic, scale is an 'anconetta' and can be compared to another of similar dimensions in Mazzo, Lombardy, illustrated in Scultura lignea. The Mazzo relief shows a nativity scene in the main panel, set below a semi-circular section which probably originally contained a relief of Christ's passion.  

This well-preserved relief maintains its three registers, with the smallest scale register containing portraits of the donors, hands clasped in prayer, presented by their patrons, the doctor-saints Cosmos and Damian, identified by their medical vials. The upper register encloses a crucifixion scene with the penitent Mary Magdalen kneeling at the foot of the cross, her long hair flowing down her back. The figures are given a graceful sweetness, with appealing gestures such as the Virgin modestly pressing her hand to her breast, and the female donor clutching her prayer beads. Such treatment is perfectly suited to the intimate devotional use of a domestic setting.    

RELATED LITERATURE
A. Straffi et al., Scultura lignea legni sacri in Valtellina e Valchiavenna tra gotico e Rinascimento, exh. cat. Museo valtellinese di storia e arte (Milan, 2005) no. 26, p. 124-5