ICON 'THE MOTHER OF GOD, UNEXPECTED JOY' WITH SILVER OKLAD Central Russia, early 20th century Oklad: silver, chased, engraved, gilded, cloisonné enamel Marks: master stamp in Cyrillic 'V.S.', woman's head turned to the right in an oval shield with the initials A.S. - mark of the Kostroma district precious metals control office, 1899-1905 wood, oil 31.7 x 26.5 cm Condition: good condition, patina on the oklad. The icon of the Mother of God 'Unexpected Joy' is an icon of the Virgin Mary venerated as miraculous in the Russian Orthodox Church. The iconography was inspired by the story of a miraculous vision of a sinner, described by Saint Dimitri of Rostov in his work 'Runo oroshennoe' (1683). The story goes that a man used to pray every day before the icon of the Mother of God, then go and do the evil he had planned. But one day, while he was praying, he 'saw the icon move and the Mother of God alive with her Son. He saw the Child's wounds open ... and blood flowing freely, as on the Cross'. Frightened, the man asked the Virgin Mary about these wounds and the Virgin replied that sinners crucified Jesus Christ every time they did evil. The sinner begged the Mother of God to have mercy on him and to intercede for him with her Son. The Mother of God agreed, but Jesus rejected his prayer for the sinner's forgiveness three times. The Virgin insisted and God, out of respect for His Mother, finally forgave the sinner. The sinner then changed his life. The forgiveness of his sins was an 'unexpected joy' for him. The composition of the icon faithfully reproduces the story of Saint Dimitri of Rostov. On the left, we see the sinner in prayer, kneeling before the image of the Odigitria. The Child Jesus is on his knees with torn clothes and wounds. The sinner is praying beneath the image of the Virgin. At the buyer's request, we would be happy to provide a general report on the condition of 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 consult a specialist of their choice for a full assessment of the condition of the lot. Descriptions of items provided in the catalogue or by correspondence are for guidance only and should not be relied upon as a definitive assessment. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD 'AS IS' IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE PUBLISHED IN THE CATALOGUE.