Found an icon and don't know how to determine the age of the icon yourself? Rules for evaluating ancient icons Help in evaluating rare icons

The serious development of the antiques business requires a serious approach to the evaluation of antiques. This question especially concerns icons – one of the most revered shrines and popular objects for collecting in Moscow and beyond. A variety of icon painting schools, a variety of techniques, different levels of icon painters and other factors gave rise to the need for expert examination of icons.

Any antique has its own history and value. The temptation of individual dealers is too great: to create a fake and pass it off as a rarity. Especially often this is done with holy faces. Attempts to restore an old but damaged icon, renew the lacquer layer, or replace the frame practically destroy the original value of the object and force both sellers and potential buyers to look for a place where icons can be examined.

Let's make a reservation right away that it is not so easy to find specialists in Moscow who are able to qualitatively perform an examination of icons. Basically, these are employees of museums or research institutes with the necessary knowledge and experience. Finding on your own where you can examine icons in Moscow is quite difficult. Therefore, we advise you to pay attention to reputable companies that have been operating in the field of antiques for a long time. Real experts don't advertise in newspapers. Their names are passed from mouth to mouth, and all self-respecting large antique salons strive to cooperate with experienced specialists who carry out the examination of icons.

The best offers for the examination of icons

Our antique salon occupies one of the leading places in the domestic antiques market and will help you solve the problem of where icons can be examined. You can always order an examination of icons and other antiques from us on terms acceptable to you. It is enough to visit our antique shop in Moscow or state your problem through the online form. Our experts can also evaluate a rarity from a photograph, but this approach is justified only for relatively “new” things that have seen the light of day in the previous three centuries. More ancient exhibits will require detailed study, and therefore personal presence.

Thanks to a strong reputation and an honest approach to doing business, we have managed to enlist the support of eminent professionals, for whom the examination of icons has become a matter of life. The result of the work can be issued in the form of an oral consultation, with the issuance of an expert opinion based on a visual study, or with the issuance of a document summarizing the results of technical and technological studies.

Our colleagues in Moscow are the best art historians, scientists, restorers who have devoted many years to the study of antiquities. And they got their knowledge not so much from their scientific manuals, but from daily communication with antiques and other valuable items, fraught with the legacy of the great masters of the past and the breath of History itself.

How is the examination of the icon

In order to establish the authenticity of the image, the year of creation and other parameters, experts use many techniques. The examination of icons is carried out using magnifying technology, in infrared and ultraviolet rays, some parameters are determined using a fluoroscope, and the identification of paints and gesso will not do without chemical reagents.

Very often, along with the question “where can icons be examined”, people ask the question “why is this necessary?”. The answer is simple: an examination of icons is necessary when the price of the issue is a substantial amount, and there are no other ways to establish the authenticity of a copy.

The most urgent issue of the examination of icons is for ancient faces painted earlier than the 17th century. At a later time, its own system of identifying the work of a master, branding precious salaries and other points appeared, which greatly simplifies the process of evaluating and examining icons. Medieval icons need to be carefully considered before a verdict on their authenticity and a price can be set. And the point here is not only the magnitude of the latter. The very fact of having an expert opinion speaks of respect for the traditions of the antique market and forever inscribes medieval shrine into a scientific context, allowing us to replenish the treasury of our knowledge about the art of our ancestors.

Before ordering an examination of an icon, it is worthwhile to figure out what types of research are and what they are for. When looking for where you can examine icons, you will definitely come across the term art history expertise. Such an assessment is necessary for those objects that are planned to be transported somewhere, insured, or copyright needs to be confirmed. This approach is also natural when evaluating antiques and art objects that are supposed to be bought or sold.

Historical and art expertise will help to reveal the true age of the object, to establish its historical value. And this type of examination of icons as attribution makes it possible to study the shrine in detail, identify individual features and allow classifying the object in order to understand what place the rarity can take in the collection.

Going in search of a place in Moscow where you can examine an icon, always remember that this is the prerogative of competent staff, respected art historians, so give preference to reliable, time-tested partners.

When evaluating icons, difficulties arise, which are often associated with a lack of information about a particular characteristic. Only a professional appraiser can know the real value of an icon. You can order a free assessment on our website of the store "Connoisseur" or post a photo on the forum.

Before entering the query “buy church utensils” into search sites, read this article and you will be able to avoid most of the mistakes of beginners. From this article, you will learn by what parameters you can evaluate icons and church utensils, and how you can sell them.

How to make an assessment "at home"?

Any seller or buyer who is not a professional wants to know the approximate cost in advance in order to compare offers in different stores. Your own initial assessment is not reliable, but will help you understand a little about the topic. Among the main factors, the following should be highlighted:

1. Product condition. This is a universal criterion that applies to any product: the better the product is preserved, the more expensive it will cost.
2. Time of writing / production. Sometimes the year plays a role not only in assessing the "old age" of the product, but also in the events that took place in a certain period of time.
3. Material. The material testifies to the quality of the product, to the "master's hand", as well as to what costs were incurred for the creation and in what period of time this took place. Icons / church utensils of the same period, but of different quality will be priced differently.
4. The presence of a signature. The signature is not always important for the work, but some products are a series or a set, so the signature of the master can become a sign of quality for your product.
5. Restoration. If the item has already been restored, then its value drops. How much the price will decrease will depend on the quality and scale of the restoration carried out.
6. Plot (for assessing icons). If the icon has a certain plot and it belongs to a specific era/event, then this significantly increases its value.
Icons are evaluated according to many parameters, which often depend on the needs of the store or the buyer. You should also pay attention to historical period during which the icon was painted. Most often, some things are more profitable to sell in pairs, so if you are not a historian, you should think about combination options in advance and study all the details. In special cases, colors and transitions can play an important role. But it is better to check such details with professionals.

Why choose the company "Connoisseur"?

Our company is not the first year on the antiques market. We evaluate antiques according to the list of parameters by a professional team that ensures maximum objectivity.
Unlike other companies, we offer a free initial evaluation of your product. Our consultant will contact you to clarify the questions that arise both for you and for us. On our website you can find a list of products that interest us the most. But if your icon or church utensils are not on the list, do not worry, we are still considering other options.
For your convenience, a special online form has been created on the site, which will help you quickly get feedback from our experts. You can find the address of our office, as well as contact phone numbers on the company's website. We will be happy to answer all your questions.

Selling antiques only at first glance seems like a daunting task. Our company "Connoisseur" will try to create comfortable conditions for the evaluation of your products. So don't delay - contact us as soon as possible.

The icon is an essential attribute of faith. And in the Catholic, and in the Orthodox, and in Protestant Church there are images of saints and Jesus depicted on wooden planks. Icon-painting art has long been revered by Russian people. But now icons are valued not only as an attribute of faith or a work of art, a lot of people see them only as antiques, which in some cases are expensive. Evaluating icons is a rather complex and painstaking task. After all, the further fate of the tablet with the face of the saint depends on the quality work of the appraiser.

Before talking about the value of a work of art, any master determines its authenticity. After all, there are a huge number of high-quality or partial fakes. There are also such icons that were created a very long time ago, but later some details were added to the main image. Therefore, high-precision laboratory equipment is used to determine the time of creation of the image of a saint.

A professional appraiser begins his activity with a thorough inspection of the product using various instruments. Be sure to study the base and soil. Only professionals of the highest class will be able to accurately determine the age of a work of art and its authenticity.

What is included in the cost estimate?

Correctly evaluate the icon under the force of professional antique dealers during a visual inspection. From the photo, you can only approximately determine the cost, since it is impossible to take into account a number of nuances.

Masters evaluate according to the following criteria:

1. Time to create a work of art.
2. The name of the creator.
3. Are there samples, hallmarks, marks, dates.
4. Whether noble metals, precious or semi-precious stones were used in the creation.
5. The state at the moment. If the icon has seen the forms, is it possible to restore it.
6. Dimensions and on what material it is created. If the image is painted on wood or canvas, then by their condition one can roughly determine the age of the icon. But do not forget that some craftsmen will easily age any material in order to pass off a remake as a work of art tested for centuries. If the basis of the icon is sheet iron or tin, then it is likely that it was created in the 19th-20th century. So, the cost of such a thing will not be great. And in the last century, icons were created in a factory way, therefore, the manufacturer will be indicated on the back side.
7. Are all parts of the artwork preserved?
8. Does the image belong to supporters of the Old Believers or Christianity.
9. Coating technique.

Antique dealers evaluate both the icon and the setting. After all, some ancient icon painters covered the latter with silver or gold, decorated with gems. Sometimes the elements of the salary were made of genuine leather. It happens that it is valued much more expensive than the image of a saint. If it is lost, then the cost of the copy will decrease.

Artistic and market valuation

Allocate artistic and market value. How do they differ?

The first means that the icon is considered as an object of art, as an artistic canvas. In this case, the following nuances are important:

1. The name of the creator or the name of the school of icon painting to which he belonged.
2. Creation techniques.
3. Pictured plot.
4. Does the icon refer to a historical event?

And the market value determines:

1. How much is this work of art in today's market.
2. What is the current supply and demand.
3. Are there any collectors who wish to purchase an image of the saint.

If a person wants to sell an icon, then only its market value matters. Of course, the price of a work of art rises if there is a collector who wishes to purchase a copy for a private collection.

How much do old icons cost?

Any experienced seller of an antique store, when asked how to independently determine the value of an icon, will advise you to ask relatives about the history of the plaque with the face. How did she get into the family, how many generations are passed down, were any miracles associated with her (healing, release of myrrh, etc.). The answer to the question, “how to find out the real value of an icon?” Will be as follows: contact a professional. The fact is that a person who does not have the necessary knowledge will not be able to correctly determine the price of such a product without outside help.

Any antique shop is ready to provide an assessment of an independent expert without delay. If the antique dealer determines the value of the icon, then you should not forget that the buyer may not agree with the opinion of a professional. A person who wants to buy a work of art can offer much less than its market value. An expert assessment is also needed so that the seller is guided by the approximate cost, and is not deceived by unscrupulous traders. So, when evaluating icons, you should not save. It is necessary to give a work of art to professional appraisers who have vast experience in working with antiques.

Price vintage icons reaches several tens of thousands.

1. For the images of Our Lady of Oranta they give 5-15 thousand rubles.
2. The icon "Tenderness" is sold for 9-20 thousand rubles.
3. For the Savior Not Made by Hands and Christ Pantokrator they pay at least 12 thousand rubles.
4. The Trinity is estimated at 6-18 thousand rubles.

The numbers change depending on the individual characteristics and the state of the icon.

Is it possible to sell an icon?

Most believers believe that a handwritten image of a saint, the Mother of God or Jesus cannot be sold, since this main shrine Houses. Not in vain in old days it was the icon that hung in the red corner and protected the whole family from the devil and evil spirits. But if a person has already moved away from religion, then he can give or sell an icon without remorse. Indeed, in this case, another family professing Christianity will have the opportunity to enjoy an Orthodox work of art. And they also sign a contract of sale with the church, then the religious relic will fall into the right hands. The clergy will take care of the future of the image.

The antique shop on the Arbat is very interested in your desire to sell an old icon of the 17th, 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. The salaries of ancient icons are in no less demand. precious stones, sometimes, exceeds the cost of the icon itself.

How expensive can you sell an old icon with us

Among the customers of the antique shop there are very serious collectors of iconography. The antique shop regularly receives orders for the purchase of antique icons on wood from the 18th and 19th centuries from the owners of private collections and exhibitions. Accordingly, we are ready to charge a superior purchase price for old, well-preserved icons in the antiques buying market. Our icon painting expert is able to see in the icon a masterpiece of ancient times and set a price as for a work of art, and not "for a couple of thousand rubles" as in numerous purchases from the metro or resellers on bulletin boards. Obviously, you have every chance to sell the icon here for a relatively high price.

Important in assessing the icon is

• condition (excellently preserved/requires restoration)
• icon size;
• age icons
• origin, author
• the presence of a brand, author's signature
• completeness (in salary / without salary)
• the presence of inlaid with precious stones

Valuation of an ancient icon in Moscow

1. Evaluation of the icon of the 18th - 19th centuries online (according to the photo)

   • Take a picture of the icon with a camera or smartphone (at least from 2 angles). If old icon in need of restoration (paint has come off in places, cracks, abrasions), for the most accurate assessment of the Russian icon, it is recommended to photograph these places close-up.
   • Send a photo of an ancient icon in any way convenient for you.
     • Email: to
     • Mobile applications for smartphone Viber WhatsApp to the number specified in contacts.
   Specify: canvas size, age, school name, if you know this information. Based on this, we will be able to name a fairly accurate price of our interest in your copy. The response time of an expert iconologist during working hours is approximately 10 - 15 minutes.
   To get the fastest result of the assessment of the icon of the 18th -19th century, enter your phone number or skype.

2. Evaluate an old icon by phone

   • Contact an antique shop expert at the number listed in the contacts section.
   • Use the callback service. The blue button is located on the right side of the screen.
   From the verbal description of the antique icon, we will try to give a preliminary assessment. In any case, we can answer in the affirmative: are we interested in this icon. If not, we'll tell you where to go.

3. Visit to an antique shop

   • For all our clients and guests of the antique shop, the assessment of an old Russian icon is free of charge.
   • We work without lunch and weekends. Before visiting, check the opening hours in the contacts section.

4. Free Icon Appraiser Call

   • You live in the Moscow region and you have neither the time nor the opportunity to get to the center of Moscow to sell the icon for the most expensive price.
   • The significant dimensions of the ancient icon on wood make it difficult to transport the icon to Moscow for evaluation or sale.
   • The preliminary estimated value of the antique icon exceeds 400,000 rubles, and traveling with an antique icon in public transport is unsafe.
   Contact the antique store manager. By agreement, an icon appraiser from among the full-time employees of the store will be delegated to you. The time and place of the meeting (office, apartment, cafe) you will appoint yourself.

"Bring a friend" promotion

• If you are an advanced Internet user and are able to quickly and correctly find information on where you can evaluate and sell antiques for the most expensive price.
• If familiar people turn to you for help with a request to find the address of a good purchase of antiques or a pawnshop in Moscow, and your feedback and opinion are decisive for them.

The antique shop appreciates the desire to help people and is ready to generously thank you for your recommendation. Check with the store manager for details and conditions of the promotion.

You live far from Moscow

• You live in the Central, Western Federal Districts, the Urals, Siberia or the Far East.
• Do you intend to sell, say, ancient icon of Nicholas the Wonderworker on a tree at the purchase price in Moscow antique shops.

You just need to send a photograph of an old icon to the e-mail address of the store.

Answers to frequently asked questions

Question: Are you interested in handmade icons embroidered with beads?

Answer: these works of applied art do not represent antiquarian value. Interest from the Antique Store, respectively, too.

Question: Are you interested modern icons metal, sold in church shops?

Answer: no. These works, in our opinion, do not and never will have any antique value.

Question: Do you buy copies of old icons and new-made icons?

Answer: The main activity of the Antique Shop is: free evaluation of old works of art, buying antiques, assistance in selling antique collections, consultations. First of all, we value our reputation. Copies of ancient icons are not of interest to our clients, and, accordingly, to us.

Privacy and non-disclosure policy

Question: How can you be sure that Contact Information(e-mail address, phone number) will not be available to third parties, and I will not be called by strangers?

Answer: the antique shop does not, under any circumstances, transfer the contact details of our customers and guests "to the side." Moreover, after 3 days, all information, including correspondence and personal contact details of guests, is deleted.

Payment and transaction security

Payment is made in cash, or, for security reasons, by transfer to the client's payment card account.