RUSSIAN ORTHODOX ICON WITH MOTHER-OF-PEARL CROSS. SAINT NICHOLAS OF BARI. 18TH CENTURY

Description:
- Icon depicting Saint Nicholas of Bari in the upper left-hand corner, below him is an angel with a staff, next to him, in the lower right-hand corner, Saint Athanasius of Alexandria, and above, the Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus.
- In the centre is a mother-of-pearl cross depicting Saint John the Baptist baptising Jesus, together with the four Evangelists. In the lower part of the panel is Saint Nicholas of Bari.
- The panel is rectangular, and is placed on a velvet-lined táblex. The cross, made of mother-of-pearl and nailed to the panel, is made up of several parts.
- It is not flat, being arched along a vertical axis. Its average thickness is about 2 cm. The back is lined with red cloth.
- The icon, probably of Russian origin, consists of a single panel. During processing it seems that the base of the cross was cut out of the board in order to position it properly in the centre. As a result, a piece of board is missing from the upper part of the cross. Part of this piece has been restored.
- The workmanship is of high quality, made with very attractive bright colours, mainly reds, blues and greens.
- It is divided into four quartos. Each has an inscription at the top, probably in Russian.
- The icon has been repaired in a handmade manner, despite this, it has a very acceptable overall appearance.

Conservation and Damage:
- The icon is in very good condition. It does not need cleaning.
- It shows some flaws in the paint, rubbing and wear due to time. It has no frame.
- The oil painting has not suffered from external aggressions such as humidity, insect attacks, rodents, etc.
- The object presents the wear and tear of it's time.

Comments:
- Both measurements and weight are approximate.
- The tones of the colours in the photos are not the same as the tones of the real colours.
- The object is the one that corresponds to the photos.
- The description is not a detailed exposition of the object.
- The information given here are personal, unverified opinions.