Russian icon depicting the Madonna of Kazan with silver riza - Moscow, 1893

Height × width: 28.5 × 24 cm Weight: 1331 g.
Tempera on panel with silver riza
The iconographic composition, one of the most venerated in the Russian Orthodox tradition, depicts the Virgin represented half-length, with her head slightly inclined toward the Christ Child. The latter is portrayed standing frontally, raising his right hand in a gesture of blessing, while the figure of the Virgin serves as a spiritual and protective presence. The wooden panel, painted in tempera, is almost entirely covered by a precious silver metal covering (riza or oklad), finely worked with repoussé, engraving and chasing techniques. The silver revetment leaves visible only the faces and hands of the figures (*lik*), according to the typical “window” technique of icon painting. 

The riza features rich geometric and geometric-floral decoration covering the background uniformly, with a more elaborate treatment around the two halos, a characteristic element of Russian goldsmiths’ workshops of the late Imperial period, fully hallmarked with 84 zolotniks (875/1000) silver marks, used in Moscow from 1893, assayer Ivan Sergeevich Lebedkin, and the with the mark of an unidentified silversmith.

The entire work is preserved within a shaped wooden kiot with an inner gilded frame, fitted with a glazed front door and lateral metal hinges that allowed it to be closed during transport.



Item condition grading: **** good.
The original metal riza is preserved in its entirety and displays the natural oxidation of its silvered surface, together with light surface abrasions, minor edge distortions, and small localized areas of lifting and wear acquired over time.
The wooden panel remains stable and structurally sound, fully consistent with the icon's age, with no evidence of significant structural restoration.