Russian Entry to Jerusalem Icon

Circa 1880 A.D. A wooden painted board with gessoed surface, naturalistic painting of Jesus's entry into Jerusalem on a donkey, passing through an arch in the city wall with celebrating crowds waving palm fronds; Jesus and Joseph shown with outline nimbus; heavily gilded interlaced border with rich turquoise field and polychrome detailing; title to the lower edge in Cyrillic script: 'Entrance of the Lord in Jerusalem'. See Turtsova, N.M., The Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. Series 'Russian icon. Images and symbols' (in Russian), St. Petersburg, 2014. 1.18 kg, 31 cm high (12 1/4 in.). Property of a London lady, part of her family's collection. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no. 11547-196367. The scene, painted in the style of late 19th-century romantic painters, represents a well-known part of the Gospels that describe the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. He makes a grand entrance into the city on a donkey to fulfil the prophesy of Zechariah, “Tell the city of Zion, look, your king is coming to you! He is humble and rides on a donkey and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”