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 "?.?.?.," 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).

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.