Cryptic crossword clue
Check on English artist beginning to rummage amongst his blessed rulers 9

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word HIERARCHS

I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
H
I
E
R
A
R
C
H
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "blessed rulers" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case blessed rulers = hierarchs.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does HIERARCHS mean?

HIERARCHS noun
  1. One who has high and controlling authority in sacred things; the chief of a sacred order.
  2. A title of bishops in their role as ordinaries (arbiters of canon law) over their respective dioceses.

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