19th Cent. Russian Mini Icon Our Lady of Kazan in Sterling Medallion Frame

Presented is a XIXth century hand painted Mini Icon of the very much revered Lady of Kazan who was also called Theotokos of Kazan. The Virgin Mary is represented chest high and the Baby Christ standing. Dimension of the sterling silver medallion are : 30 x 23 mm --- 1.2 x 0.92 in. On the reverse of the medallion, is carved in Niello and Russian Cyrillic characters: "Bless and Save", which is a traditional Russian short prayer found on medals and crucifixes. Hallmarks are tough to read especially for the Silversmith § the presence of the letters "VEY" and "ESS" may lead to think that the silversmith is very probably Vasilii S. Semenov. This enables to date the medallion at around 1865/1875. The icon may be older than the medallion frame, but there is no way to assert that fact. Vasilii A. Semenoy was a very famous silversmith and one of the leading rivals to Fabergé. The Essayer hallmark is unidentifiable unfortunately. This is a very charming item which carries a high load of emotion as Our Lady of Kazan is possibly the most revered and well-known Russian Orthodox icon and is also venerated among Catholics. A mini Icon of our Lady of Kazan that may be worn as a medallion is a very rare find. All Pictures are an intrinsic part of the description. Please do not hesitate to ask any question. ==== FREE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE ==== This is a magnificent item that you will greatly enjoy or that would make a fantastic gift. My selling principle is : " SATISFACTION OR REFUND " AND IT APPLIES 100 %. I am ready to refund in totality any item sold by me if you are not fully satisfied with your purchase. NO QUESTIONS ASKED - NO CONDITIONS BUY WITH COMPLETE CONFIDENCE On Jan-29-16 at 10:55:53 PST, seller added the following information: Add a map to your own listings. FREE Trial !