Legitimate Maker's/Assay Mark? - Russian Silver Oklad Icon

[wcamiller]

Hello,

I am hoping someone can help me with two things:

1) Is this maker's/assay mark legitimate? Is there a possibility that it's a forgery?
2) The maker's mark appears to be cyrillic "BA", which according to the 925-1000.com resources could be Vasily Agafonov, V. Akimov, Vasily Andreev or Vasily Alexandrov. The assayer appears to be Lev Oleks.

The piece is a 10.5" silver oklad icon with areas of cloisonné.




Thanks in advance!

[Zolotnik]

Hi wcamiller -

Sorry, this is a fake!

Regards
Zolotnik

[wcamiller]

Thanks for letting me know. That's too bad!

Can you tell me how you know (just because I'm curious)?

[Zolotnik]

Hi wcamiller -

we do no discuss fakes on this forum!
I've never understood the urge to "learn" about fakes. It's a waste of time. Spend that energy learning about the real thing and you'll know the fakes when you see them because they won't look like the real thing. No matter how much you "learn" about fakes, you'll never know everything about them so it's literally an all-consuming time-suck that has no value since every day new fakes hit the market.

Regards
Zolotnik

[wcamiller]

Gosh, thanks.

[Dad]

Hi, wcamiller.

I don't argue with Zolotnik, but...

You go in the wrong direction. Identification of an icon is difficult process. On muddy a photo it is impossible to tell anything. Photos are necessary: back side, end face, fragments of painting, enamel, punches. The size is necessary. And etc.

For an example, you can tell definitely, what it is original Da Vinci picture? :




Best Reg..

[Zolotnik]

Hi Dad -

I agree with your absolute correct point of view! But here we do not argue over an authentic icon - we both know that almost all icons of this make/optic/technique are phantasy fakes! Only someone who has no clue will buy an icon which is a big mistery to him and ask later what he have - a knowing collector know better! Even on the blurry photo you can see that the essentials are wrong - you must know better...

Regards
Zolotnik

[wcamiller]

Hi,

I find all the references to "knowing collectors" and "clueless" people pretty obnoxious. I never claimed to be an expert. It was inherited from a former ambassador to the Soviet Union.

(admin edit - see Posting Requirements )

[Zolotnik]

Hi wcamiller -

it is always "obnoxious" to tell someone that in spite of the great story ( USSR ambassador) his object is a fake. But what is much more obnoxious: why he passed on a fake?

Regards
Zolotnik