ICON 'MOTHER OF GOD THE BURNING BUSH' AND SAINTS WITH SILVER OKLAD Vologda region, early 19th century Oklad: silver, chasing, engraving, gilding Marked: master mark in Cyrillic 'V.S' for Semenov Vasily (1852-1873) ?; master assayer mark in Cyrillic 'A. M' above the date '1852'; silver mark '84' and coat of arms of Saint Petersburg; inscription in Cyrillic 'vesu 1 funt 29 1/2 zolotniki' (approx. 530 gr.) wood, levkas, tempera 33 x 27 cm Condition: good overall condition, partially renewed, probably mid 19th century, when the silver oklad was made, some modern restorations. One of the Old Testament images of the Mother of God is the burning bush that Moses saw burning but never consumed. This bush signified the Immaculate Conception of Christ by the Holy Spirit. Having been a Mother, she remained a Virgin. In the centre of the icon is the image of the Mother of God with the Child, and in the rays of the eight-pointed star are angels adoring the Mother of God, as a symbol of the adoration of the heavenly forces of the miraculous birth of God from the Virgin. 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 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