Icon - .875 (84 Zolotniki) silver

Russian Orthodox Medallion of Saint Sergius of Radonezh – 84 gold-plated silver – Possible Ivan Kononov – Imperial Russia, 1908–1917

Antique religious medallion from Imperial Russia, made of 84 zolotnik silver (875/1000) with abundant gilding, featuring a delicate polychrome miniature of Saint Sergius of Radonezh.

The image, apparently hand-painted, stands out for its artistic quality, the expressiveness of the face, and the precision of the details. It is surrounded by an elegant oval frame of gilded silver with radial engraved decoration.

Contrasts and attribution

The piece preserves the Russian contrast of silver “84” and an official mark of the type introduced in 1908, used on small jewelry articles.

It also presents a punch with Cyrillic initials “ИК”, possibly corresponding to Iván Aleksándrovich Konónov, jeweler and dealer in gold and silver based in Saint Petersburg.

Konónov is documented in A. N. Ivanov’s catalogue, Masters of Gold and Silver in Russia (1600–1926), reference no. 2049. Works from his production are known, including imperial decorations of high quality, with the marks “ИК” and “ИАК.”

The coincidence of the punch, the chronology, and the execution characteristics allow proposing this attribution, though it cannot be considered definitive.

Features:

• Origin: Imperial Russia.
• Era: early 20th century, probably 1908–1917.
• Material: 875/1000 silver with abundant gilding.
• Polychrome religious miniature, apparently hand-painted.
• Possible maker: Iván Aleksándrovich Konónov, Saint Petersburg.
• Dimensions: 5 × 3 × 0.5 cm.
• Weight: 6 g.

Condition: good, with antique patina and localized wear to the gilding, as befits its age. The miniature retains its colors and details.