A silver capsule with micro-carvings - image-1

Lot 1655 Dα

A silver capsule with micro-carvings

Auction 1230 - overview Cologne
17.11.2023, 17:30 - Decorative Arts - Furniture
Estimate: 3.000 € - 4.000 €
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A silver capsule with micro-carvings

Silver, freshwater pearls, glass, wood. Delicately wrought disc shaped capsule with eight hinges, a bail and cross pendant below. With a depiction of the Virgin Mary / Christ surrounded by foliate ornament and portraits of saints. One hinge and four pearls missing. H 13.5, W 9 cm.
Greece, Chalkidiki, Athos Monastery, 19th C.

The monks of Mount Athos have been creating micro-carvings like these since the late 17th century. In addition to these ingenious capsules, they also made wooden crosses and entire iconostases. This art form, which was exported to the eastern Mediterranean and as far afield as Italy, ensured the monks' survival. The depictions are influenced by traditional Greek art, but also reveal the influence of Ottoman Constantinople.