World Treasures: Important Russian, European, Asian & American Works
November 18th & 19th, 2014
auction closed


 
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LOT 3
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Lot 3
A RARE AND VERY FINE ANTIQUE RUSSIAN ICON OF ST. NICHOLAS PRESENTED TO POPE JOHN PAUL II BY PRESIDENT BORIS YELTSIN.  A finely painted image of St. Nicholas delivering a blessing and holding an open book of Gospels to a variant of Luke 16:17. The extensive use of fine gilt shading and extensive chrysography together with the overall palette, dark facial shadows and finely painted facial hair, all resemble icons from the Moscow workshop of Palekh trained iconographer N. N. Bakanov. The entire icon overlaid with a gilded silver, repoussé and chased riza with shaded enamel halo and champlevé enamel title plaque. Hallmarked Moscow 1897-1908 and with Cyrillic maker's mark "И.А.А.," for Ivan Alekseivich Alekseiev, and with 84 silver standard. The verso covered in silk. 12.5 inches x 12.6 inches (31 x 26.5 cm).
Estimate:  $10,000 - 20,000   € 7,000 - 14,000
Price Realized: $143,750.00

Provenance:

Presented to Pope John Paul II by President Boris Yelstin on his visit to the Vatican state on December 20, 1991 and then from Pope John Paul II to his secretary Monsignor Stanislaw Dziwisz by whom given to his friend Monsignor Michael Dylag, the present owner. 

A copy of the photograph of President Yelstin presenting the icon to Pope John Paul II together with an affidavit from Monsignor Dylag accompanies the lot.

All items are sold “AS IS” and there will be no returns based on condition. The items sold are often of considerable age and will exhibit wear, usage and damage often not listed in the catalog entry. The absence of condition remarks in the catalog entry DOES NOT mean the item is in perfect condition. Prospective buyers are in ALL CASES responsible for determining the physical condition of lots. No employee or agent of Jackson's International Auctioneers and Appraisers is authorized to make on our behalf or on that of the consignor any representation or warranty, oral or written, with respect to any property. Therefore, if a prospective bidder has not examined the property to their satisfaction before the sale, or his/her agent has not inspected the property, Jackson's recommends that they not bid on the property. All dimensions are approximate. The condition of frames is not guaranteed.