Antique Palestinian Carved Mother of Pearl Christian Icon The Nativity 19th C

Antique mother-of-pearl carvings from the 19th century. Christian icon of convex oval form, finely hand carved in low relief with a central raised panel depicting "The Nativity" with a winged angel above.
Shells such as these were sold in the 18th -19th century to Christian pilgrims in Jerusalem and Bethlehem, where they were carved in relief and pierced by hand by local Palestinian craftsmen.
This way, the shells found their way to Europe and other parts of the world during the nineteenth century.
 
Orthodox pilgrims from Russia also brought back significant numbers of shells and other items manufactured in Palestine. Today, the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg has an important collection of such items.
Many of the shells were transferred to the Hermitage Museum from the Winter Palace and the domestic chapels of other imperial palaces, as it was customary for these shells to be given to the royal family by pilgrims returning from the Holy Land.
The Vatican Museum also boasts an impressive collection of these delicate and intricate Christian mother-of-pearl objects that date back to that particular period.
 
REFERENCES:
1. "Pilgrim Treasures from the Hermitage: Byzantium - Jerusalem" Publisher: Lund Humphries.
2. "Christians in the Holy Land : the Art of the Melchites and Other Denominations of Orthodox Church" by Slaviia, Saint Petersburg 1998.
3. "El Arte Palestino de Tallar el Nacar" by Fabián Jiménez.
 
Please note that this particular medallion is a museum-quality artwork; it could be displayed in the most reputable world museums.
We will also provide the buyer with photocopies of the pages from the mentioned references together with a certificate of authenticity.
 
CONDITION: The icon is in very good condition, free of cracks, chips, repairs, or restorations.
 
MEASUREMENTS:
Height: 14.3 cm (5.63 inches).
Width: 13.5 cm (5.31 inches).
 
NOTE: It is difficult to capture the intricate carving details and the sparkling pearl color on camera due to the shiny surface of the Mother-of-Pearl.