L13231

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Lot 113
  • 113

Greek, Mount Athos, late 16th/ early 17th century and Romanian, 19th century

Estimate
15,000 - 20,000 GBP
bidding is closed

Description

  • cedarwood, mounted in a silver frame set with emeralds, and containing some paper and fabric envelopes, some lined with gold foil
  • Greek, Mount Athos, late 16th/ early 17th century and Romanian, 19th century
incised on the silver frame: 

LEFT SIDE:



 Sâ se pâstre,, de ’n familie fündŭ de la anulŭ 1596 datâ de Nil Egumenulŭ Sf,, Mona Blejoiulŭ la anulŭ 1860.



 Majorŭ Dimitrie Papaᶁolu și lucratâ de. N. Carapa,,ti.. Nº 16..



Sf. Moaste             
Sf. Lemnù               
_Haralabie
_Mina
_Paraskive
_Pantelimon
_Elefterie
_Dimitrie
_Teodortiron
_Vasilie
_Nicita
_Trifon



mir de la sf. mormant



RIGHT SIDE:



Sf. Cruce și 12 marǐ Serbatorǐ      



Viu la voi cu credința a vâ ruga sâ fiți  ‘n ajutorulŭ famili mele Pentru Sânâtatea celor bolnavǐ,  Mângâerea la nenorocirǐ, ajutor la na,,intarǐ și a,,pârâtor la Napastuiri !



Maior Dimit,,rie Papaᶁolu;



(LEFT SIDE



So that it remains in the family from 1596 to 1860, date of Nil Egumenulu St. Mona Blejoiulu.  



Major Dimitrie Papadolu and worked also by N. Caparati.. Nº16



St. Moaste / St. Lemnu / Haralabie / Mina / Paraskive / Pantelimon / Elefterie / Dimitrie / Teodortirom / Vasilie / Nicita / Trifon



anointment from the holy grave



RIGHT SIDE



Holy Cross and the 12 main festivals



I come to you with faith praying for help towards my family for the health of those who are ill. Nourisher for the unfortunate, helper of the stricken and defender of the afflicted! 



Major Dimitrie Papadolu

Provenance

by repute Papadolu family, since 1596;
Majorŭ Dimitrie Papadolu, Romania, circa 1860

Catalogue Note

A complex of twenty monasteries on Mount Athos in Greece produced outstanding and intricate miniature wood carvings that have been recorded since the 17th century. The closest comparison to the present cross is the largest of three crosses that were bequeathed to the Courtauld Gallery in 1966 (inv. no. O.1966.GP.269). Their Mount Athos Cross was the only one of the group on display in an exhibition of Illuminating Objects (30 October to 3 February 2013), selected for its unusually large size and the quality of the carving.

The inscriptions on the present cross and its frame suggest that it belonged to the Papadolu family from the late 16th century with the protective silver frame being added in the 19th century. It bears the inscription of a prayer for the health of members of the family.