First book printed in Bucharest, old icons sell at recent Artmark auction

The book The Key of Understanding of Varlaam, the Metropolitan of Moldavia, sold for EUR 3,750 at an Artmark auction that took place in Bucharest. The book appeared in 1678, the first one to be printed in Bucharest. Other books that sold at the same auction were: a first edition of Descriptio Moldaviae, the work of Moldavian statesman Dimitrie Cantemir, which sold for EUR 3,000; a page of the 1494 First Octoechos (Oktoih Prvoglasnik) of monk Macarie for EUR 1,200; and the 1648 New Testament of Simion Ştefan, the first Romanian-language edition of the New Testament, for EUR 1,800. At the same time, a 1652 Martin Luther Bible sold for EUR 2,250, while the 1682 Gospel of Şerban Cantacuzino, a prince of Wallachia between 1678 and 1688, sold for EUR 1,800. The 1697 Gospel of Antim Ivireanul, the first gospel in Romanian and dating to the time of Wallachian price Constantin Brâncoveanu, sold for EUR 1,000. The Psalter of Nicolae Raţiu of Cioara, and the priest of Horea and Cloşca, sold for EUR 4,250. Horea and Cloşca were, alongside Crișan, the leaders of the 1784 peasant revolt in Transylvania. Several old icons sold at the same auction. A 19

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century icon on wood of Archangel Michael (pictured) sold for EUR 7,000, while a mid-18

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century Mother of God with Child icon from Wallachia sold for EUR 2,500. The auction, which took place on March 29, achieved total sales of EUR 130,243. (Photo:"Archangel Michael", Russian school, 19th century. Source: artmark.ro) editor@romania-insider.com