OTTOMAN TURKEY, DATED AH 1214/1799-1800 AD

Details

AN ARMENIAN SILVER-GILT PASTORAL STAFF
OTTOMAN TURKEY, DATED AH 1214/1799-1800 AD
The finial in the form of a mythic nautical beast's head, curled in on itself, with wide open mouth showing sharp fangs and serpentine tongue, with engraved gilt scales, stylised fins in the form of elegant split-palmettes, the base of tubular section with two vertical calligraphic registers in Armenian script, a band of gilt and engraved stylised palmettes on either side, mounted on possibly later flanged wooden staff with reinforced tip
The finial: 3 1/8in. (8cm.) high x 2.75in (7cm)
Length of staff: 55in. (140cm)

Special notice

All sold and unsold lots marked with a filled square in the catalogue that are not cleared from Christie’s by 5:00 pm on the day of the sale, and all sold and unsold lots not cleared from Christie’s by 5:00 pm on the fifth Friday following the sale, will be removed to the warehouse of ‘Cadogan Tate’. Please note that there will be no charge to purchasers who collect their lots within two weeks of this sale.

Lot Essay

The Armenian transcription reads 'I VAYELOWMN MATIN [SOWRB] PETROSI VANIC? AR?AJ^NORD YAROWT’[IW]NI ARK’EP[IS]K[OPO]SI T’VIN 1214' and translates "For the enjoyment of Archbishop Harutyun, primate of the monastery of St Peter’s Finger in the year 1214".

A comparable silver-gilt, filigree and enamel serpent finial is in the Victoria and Albert Museum, inventory number 246:1, 2-1896.

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