Coin Necklace, Silver, Rock Crystal, Bronze, Poland, 17th Century
A necklace crafted from faceted beads of cut rock crystal, varying in size and clarity, and Russian silver kopecks. These are small coins known as 'teardrops' or 'wire coins' due to their distinctive shape. Some coins were left flat, with specially made perforations allowing them to be strung onto a cord.
The central accent of the composition is an ancient, three-edged Scythian bronze arrowhead, dated to approximately the 7th–6th century BC. In the 17th century, it was set in silver and fitted with a loop for suspension. Its presence indicates that certain finds were perceived as extraordinary objects endowed with special significance, regardless of any lack of knowledge about their origin and function. Undoubtedly, the creator of the necklace had no knowledge of ancient Scythians or their weaponry.
An immense rarity on the collector's market! A great treat for enthusiasts of the culture and traditions of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth!
Epitaph portrait of Jan Czapski (1699-1742), oil on copper, Poland, 1740s.
The circular-shaped painting was executed in oil technique on a forged, convex copper sheet, fire-gilded. The portrait shows a middle-aged man framed in bust, en trois quarts to the left. Oval, plump face with high forehead and second chin. On his head is a white powdered curly wig. The costume is a steel breastplate, from under which parts of the garment, including a white shirt collar, protrude. To the right of the portrait is the Leliwa coat of arms in an ornamental shield topped by a knight's helmet with peacock feathers, on which the emblem of the Leliwa coat of arms is repeated. Around the shield is a floral ornament. The portrait is modeled on a painting by the brush of Szymon Czechowicz, painted before 1742.
Epitaph images, unlike coffin images, were generally oval or circular in shape. They were part of pictorial epitaphs - memorials in honor of the deceased or deceased (e.g. family), usually placed not at the burial site, but in another place associated with the person, most often in a church - on a wall or pillar. They consisted of the epitaph proper, i.e. a slab with an inscription, and a picture or pictures, most often painted or carved, less often made in other artistic techniques. A pictorial epitaph usually shows a portrait of the deceased or deceased, sometimes accompanied by his patron saint or patrons.
Diameter: 30 cm
Dimensions with frame: 43x43 cm