showing the deposition from the cross and the grief for Christ, in the background the Mother of God and Joseph of Arimathea holding the upper body of the crucified Christ, whilst Nikodemus is pulling out the nails from Christ's feet with tongs, the scene flanked by two angels who are presenting the instruments of the Passion, in the upper corner a personification of the sun and moon, resembling the cosmic forces which mourn the death of Christ, in the foreground Joseph of Arimathea and Nikodemus preparing the corpse for the entombment, the Mother of God sitting on a throne leaning over Christ, mourning for her son, on the opposite side the apostle John touching Christ's feet, together with the other witnesses of the Lamentation, four angels carrying liturgical fans approaching the corpse



 

This textile was sold in the period 1929-1935 during the Stalin regime to the West to gather valuta for the Soviet economic reforms.

Private Collection, USA

 

Recklinghausen, Ikonen Museum,  Pforte der Himmels, 2008

E. Haustein-Bartsch (ed.), Pforte der Himmels, Kerber Verlag Bielefeld, 2008, Cat. No. 199

The border with the original liturgical text is no longer in place. Some details of the original embroidery have faded. Originally the whole fabric was encircled by a line of a liturgical text. However, the border was damaged and the fabric was applied onto a new textile. We would advise prospective buyers to view.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."