A RARE GOLD AND NIELLO DROBNITSA

Drobnitsas are small silver or gold plaques, which were used to decorate icon oklads, Bible covers or religious clothing. Often engraved, nielloed or enamelled, they usually depicted the Twelve Great Feasts, including the Annunciation which is reproduced on the present example. For similar drobnitsas on the icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir by the Kremlin workshops dated late 16th century, see L. Pisarskaia, et al. Russkie emali Xl-XIX vv., Moscow, 1974, pp. 50-53.