Of shaped rectangular form, the icon of St Nicholas realistically painted on metal, with his right hand raised in benediction, the silver oklad champlevé enamelled with stylised geometric motifs and foliage in blue, green and red, with a similarly enamelled suspension loop, with velvet backing, marked on lower border with 'P. Ovchinnikov' beneath the Imperial warrant
3¹⁄₂ in. (9 cm.) high, with suspension loop

Acquired by Mrs John N. Cordts from Hammer Galleries in 1933 (with original letter from Hammer Galleries).
By direct descent to the previous owner.
Property from a Private North American Collection; Christie's, London, 7 June 2021, lot 162.

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Lot Essay

This icon is accompanied by the original letter from Hammer Galleries dated 1933 stating that it came from the collection of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (1872-1918), wife of Nicholas II. While there is no other documentation to support this, it is well known that Armand Hammer acquired large quantities of Russian works of art from the Soviet authorities in the 1920s and 1930s, including objects from the personal collections of the Romanov family.