Embossed, pierced and engraved silver, parcel-gilt and iron, Kyiv, 1784.

The gates are formed as a pair of long vertical doors hinged at the sides and opening outward. Each is pierced and embossed with a pattern of parcel-gilt flowers, scrolls and birds with three oval medallions arranged vertically at equal intervals. The upper medallion panel on the left gate represents the Annunciation and on the right the Entry of Christ into Jerusalem; those below represent the evangelists Matthew (centre left), John (centre right), Mark (lower left), and Luke (lower right). Each medallion is contained within a scroll, flower and shellwork cartouche. The upper border of each door is of irregular scroll profile, rising towards the centre. The central column is attached to the right door and is of nearly semicircular section, with pierced scrolls and flowers applied to the upper and lower ends and the centre; a spiral pattern of flowers is embossed along its length. The centre is engraved with an oval medallion of Christ as the Great Bishop. Rosettes are applied at intervals to the plain side borders of the gates. The lower border of each door is flat-chased with a lengthy Cyrillic inscription in Old Church Slavonic.

The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Provenance: Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God, Pechersk Lavra, Kyiv. Purchased from the Goldschmidt Gallery, Berlin on 9 October 1935; William Randolph Hearst. San Simeon, California. Francis Stonor, London. Acquired by Arthur Gilbert from S.J. Phillips Ltd, London, 1972.

J & S Goldschmidt were a dynasty of Jewish art dealers. They enjoyed an outstanding international reputation and had even counted the Russian imperial family among their clients. In 1937, as part of a wider campaign to eliminate Jewish people from the art trade, the Reich Culture Chamber gave the company's directors, Julius and Arthur Goldschmidt, two months notice to give up their branches in Frankfurt and Berlin. By that time, they had already left Nazi Germany. Julius went to London, from where these gates were sold. Arthur immigrated to France, and eventually he and his wife escaped to Cuba.

This object formed part of the V&A's special provenance display 'Concealed Histories: Uncovering the Story of Nazi Looting' (December 2019 - June 2021)

This magnificent pair of gates was acquired, together with another pair (LOAN:GILBERT.94-2008) by Arthur Gilbert at the start of his collecting career, and formed part of the Monumental Silver exhibition held at LACMA in 1973.

This example was made for the church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God in the Kievo-Pecherskaya Lavra, or Monastery of Caves in Kyiv, a preeminent centre of Orthodox Christianity in eastern Europe since the 11th century.

The gates are among the finest, perhaps only, examples outside of Ukraine and the former Russian Empire.

Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996.

LOAN:GILBERT.97:1, 2-2008