[EMPEROR ALEXANDER III] THE MOTHER OF GOD KURSKAYA KORENNAYA' ICON Russia, late 19th century label with Cyrillic inscription 'Alexander ... N 56'; inscribed in Cyrillic and numbered 'A.D.M 246289' (on the back) tempera, oil on wood 27 x 22.5 cm PROVENANCE: The label and inventory numbers on the back indicate that the icon was kept in the flats of Tsarevich Alexander Alexandrovich (future Emperor Alexander III) and his wife, Princess Maria Fedorovna, in the Alexandrovsky Palace in Tsarskoye Selo. The icon was placed in the iconostasis. After the palace was nationalised in 1918, the icon became part of the collections of the Alexandrovsky Palace Museum. In 1931, the 'Alexander III Party' was liquidated, and most of its objects, including the icon, were transferred to the State Fund or sold. The icon of the Mother of God Kurskaya Korennaya depicts the Mother of God carrying the Child Jesus, surrounded at the edges by the image of God Sabaoth, Lord of Hosts, and the prophets of the Old Testament. The icon is venerated as miraculous and wonder-working. In 1812, a copy of the icon was sent to Kutuzov's army. The original was found in 1295 not far from Kursk, burnt by the Tatars. Until 1918, it was kept in the Znamensky monastery in Kursk, now in the Znamensky cathedral in New York. In 1880-1883, the painter Ilya Répine used 'The Religious Procession in the Province of Kursk' as the subject of one of his best-known paintings. At the buyer's request we are happy to provide a general condition report for the lot described above. However, as we are not professional conservators or restorers, we strongly advise prospective buyers to carry out their own inspection or to consult a specialist or conservator of their choice for a full professional assessment. Descriptions of the condition of objects in the catalogue or in any correspondence are given for guidance only and should not be regarded as a substitute for a first-hand valuation. ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD 'AS IS' IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE PUBLISHED IN THE CATALOGUE