Holy Cross monstrance reliquary, gilded bronze, Central Europe, 18th century (ca. 1750)
Rococo reliquary in the form of a monstrance. In the glazed box (ostensorium) there is a cross made of rock crystal, in an openwork silver frame. Inside it are placed relics - small fragments (splinters) from the Holy Cross. On the back of the crystal cross, silk threads are visible, binding the relic to the setting, as well as a lacquer seal imprint.
Gloria (rays) - a richly decorated halo in the form of a radial shield, characteristic of a monstrance. On its perimeter, decorated with rocaillas, colored glasses of ruby and green are set, and the whole is crowned by a small cross with a central red eye.
Instead of a simple geometric form, the nodus is formed of twisted, sigmoidal volutes (shapes resembling the letters "C" and "S") that flow seamlessly from one to the other.
The foot is oval, multi-stepped, decorated with repoussed rocaillas. The reliquary represents high-class artistic craftsmanship; it is most likely preserved in "integral" condition.
Ivan Khlebnikov, Kovsh with horse’s head, silver, enamel, gilt, Moscow, 1860-1918
A unique kovsh from the famous Moscow factory of Ivan Khlebnikov, made of silver and maintained in the aesthetics of the Novorussian style. The surface of the vessel is decorated with enamel cloisonné - cells formed from thin silver wires soldered to the body, forming partitions later filled with colored glaze, repeatedly fired and polished. The result is a smooth, glossy decoration with floral and geometric motifs in vivid colors. A striking accent is the naturalistically chiseled silver horse's head forming the vessel's handle. The interior retains traces of the original gilding. The kovsh bears the punches: the inscription ХЛѢБНИКОВЪ, which is the signature of Ivan Khlebnikov's company with an eagle (marking the Imperial Court's suppliers), and the oval Moscow probationary mark - the profile of a woman in a coquina with the Greek letter delta and the number 84 (partially rubbed off), indicating the sample of silver.
John Baptist Lambrechts (1680 – after 1731), Genre scene in an inn, oil on board, ca. mid-18th century.
An intimate genre scene, attributed to Flemish painter John Baptist Lambrechts. The center of the depiction is formed by three figures: a woman in a red skirt and green kaftan with a distinctive white scarf around her neck, a man in a red cap and a woman standing behind, who participates in the conversation. Next to her stands a set table, covered with a colorful cloth, on which the white shawl - a hallmark of inn scenes by Lambrechts - could not be missing. A gesticulating man addresses a woman who, with a glass in her hand, looks calmly at the viewer. On her shoulders is a white shawl tied over her breasts: an element characteristic of Lambrechts' painting, present in almost all his depictions of women.
The painting betrays the characteristics of a good painter's workshop such as skillfully developed chiaroscuro, the way of depicting the details of fabrics and tableware attest to the artist's technical maturity. The composition is static, but full of subtle emotional tensions.
John Baptist Lambrechts (1680 – after 1731), Genre scene in an inn, oil on board, ca. mid-18th century.
An intimate oil painting on board attributed to Jan Baptist Lambrechts, a leading painter of genre scenes of 18th-century Flanders. The composition shows a couple in an inn: the woman turns to the man reproachfully, the man looks away, holding a jug and a glass. The scene alludes to everyday domestic tensions and the problem of alcohol abuse. The painting is distinguished by realistic social observation, the play of light and the artist's characteristic details like a plate with clamshells and a white scarf. The subject matter and style are perfectly in line with the trend of moralistic bourgeois painting popular in Flanders.
Madonna and Child (Mother of God of Mariampole), woodcut on handmade paper, Poland, 18th/19th century.
Original Polish folk sacred woodcut from the late 18th or early 19th century, depicting the Virgin Mary with Child, also known as the Mother of God of Mariampole. The figure of Mary wearing a crown, surrounded by stars, holding the infant Jesus dressed in a red cloak, with a book in her hand with the inscription at the bottom "AIRAMS." The composition is static, simplified and symmetrical, typical of devotional prints widespread among the people.
Madonna and Child, polychrome wood, gilded, Central Europe, 18th/19th century
Polychrome and gilded wooden sculpture depicting the Immaculate Madonna with the Child Jesus. The figure stands on a globe entwined by a serpent – a classic motif symbolizing Mary's victory over sin and evil. The Madonna, in a richly folded cloak covered with gilding, holds the Child on her left side. The sculpture is colorful, full of expression and dynamism.
Mask of Shame – “Schandmaske,” Central Europe (Germany?), ca. 1550-1700
A rare and authentic example of the so-called mask of shame ( Schandmaske), forged from a single piece of iron. It resembles the face shield used in German-type Salada helmets with a movable shield. Like the shields in Salada helmets, it was a movable piece, fixed on two rivets, retained at temple level. Unlike helmet shields, the mask was made of thin sheet metal, with narrow eye openings that significantly limited the field of vision. The features that distinguish it from helmet shields are also the grotesquely depicted nose and the rather careless manner in which it was made. These features were related to its functionality - the mask was intended to attract attention and arouse pejorative associations with the person who wore it, rather than serve as protection during battle.
Medieval chess figure (chaser), bone, Scandinavia (?), 12th century.
A fragment of a medieval long bone figurine of an unspecified animal (probably a land mammal) in the form of a semi-plastic human figure. The head covered with a mitre was depicted in quite a detailed manner. On the chest there is a relief, pointed downward, which can be interpreted as an image of an ornamental belt constituting the hem of a chasuble. The lower part of the body (partially preserved) was probably entirely unornamented - smooth. At the back of the figure, the bone was heavily transformed: edges rounded, spongy structure preserved residually.
The figure is placed in a Plexiglas display on a base that is a reconstruction of its lower part.
Moneybox in the form of a skull, wood, iron, Central Europe (Germany?), 18th century.
A unique moneybox made of carved wood in the form of a realistically depicted human skull. On the vault is carved a Latin cross with fleurons at the end of the arms. The arms of the cross are filled with horizontal ribs. An opening for inserting coins has been incorporated into the lower arm. At the height of the upper arm's termination is a movable wrought iron handle. In the occipital part there is a flap, closed with a peg, set on a single massive hinge. The skull is covered with a dark brown substance of organic origin.