The Holy Face of Jesus Icon

This three - dimensional composition commands attention through its remarkable balance of technical mastery and sacred form. Executed through electroforming — an ultra-precise metal-deposition process used in decorative arts and in the manufacture of prestigious liturgical objects — the piece renders the iconic visage of the Savior with a visual force rarely encountered in contemporary works inspired by Byzantine tradition.

The halo, gilded and set with dozens of Bohemia crystals, evokes a miniature mandorla, linking the icon to late Palaiologan enkolpion portraits. The volumetric modeling of the face and the treatment of the expression lean closer to Western sculptural schools than to strict Byzantine stylization, giving the work a dual identity: both spiritual and distinctly artistic.

The frame’s corners feature raised floral ornaments that alternate patinated gold with crystal settings. The deep red velvet ground and dark oak frame suggest a curatorial presentation — ready for museum display or inclusion in a high-tier private collection.

It is a piece that, in an international auction context, would stand comfortably alongside Russian icons from imperial workshops, despite its clearly contemporary conception. In terms of technique, it approaches the level of galvanoplastic objects associated with the K. Fabergé tradition, here reinterpreted for a monumental Orthodox aesthetic.