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Saint Nicholas
(Byzantium and Early Russia)
This ceramic icon shows Saint Nicholas, framed by vine scrolls, raising his right hand in blessing and holding the Gospels in his left hand, which is covered as a sign of respect. This ceramic tile is one of the finest in the Walters collection, which includes over 1,000 fragments, the largest such group outside of Turkey.
Although of unknown origin, this group of tiles is similar to ones known to have been made in Constantinople (now Istanbul). The tiles were most likely attached to a church wall as part of a frieze containing saint portraits and ornamented (non-iconic) pieces. Two further tiles in the museum belong to the same series as this one and carry images of Saint James (Walters 48.2086.9) and Saint Parascheve (?) (Walters 48.2086.14).
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Nikos Avgheris, Istanbul, ca. 1950, by purchase; Robert E. Hecht, Ruxton, Maryland, 1956, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1956, by purchase.
Exhibitions
| 2008 | Byzantium, 330-1453. Royal Academy of Arts, London. |
| 1997 | The Glory of Byzantium. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. |
| 1996 | To Arrest the Ravages of Time: Caring for Art at the Walters. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 2/13/1964 | Treatment | loss compensation; re-housed; stabilized |
Geographies
Turkey, Istanbul (Constantinople) (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 6 9/16 x W: 6 7/16 x D: 5/16 in. (16.7 x 16.4 x 0.8 cm)
Credit Line
Partial museum purchase with funds provided by the S. & A.P. Fund, 1956 and partial gift of Mr. Robert E. Hecht, Jr., 1957
Location in Museum
Centre Street: Third Floor: Byzantine, Russian, and Ethiopian Icons
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
48.2086.1
