Show all images on one page	#001255 Title: Dobryniya Nikitich (Russian Bogatyr) Artist: Bonokin Size: 22x14.5x5.5 Price : $1295 SOLD!

This is a handcrafted beauty by the young talented Palekh painter Dmitry Bonokin. The scene exudes his professionalism and the coloration invites the eye for permanent residence through appreciation. The artist has chosen to depict here the ancient Russian bylina "Dobrynya and Dragon". This bylina tells how the bogatyr Dobrynya Nikitich killed the Dragon for devastating Russian Land and kidnapping the niece of Prince Vladimir the Red Sun. In the middle of the composition there is the heroic figure of Dobrynya sitting on his faithful steed and trumpeting his horn to announce his victory. Just under Dobrynya's figure, the artist depicts the dead body of Dragon. In the right part of the composition we can see Prince Vladimir and different citizens of Kiev who triumph and salute their hero, while in the left part we can see girls laundering clothes in the Puchai River (according to the ancient legend, the citizens of Kiev were baptized in the waters of this river). In the left upper corner of the composition the artist paints an extract from this bylina: "Wherever you were brought from, each of you go in your own direction, and the Dragon will not touch you, the damned Dragon has been killed!" In the right upper corner of the composition there is another extract from this bylina: "The blood of the Dragona flew from the east down to the west, never more will the Russian and Christian people be imprisoned, and the Dragon was killed!"
The palette is based on warm tones to convey the bright spirit of the Summer season. There are minor infusions of cool blues and green, but these are made to create emphasis through contrast. The architecture and the landscape are depicted with skill and ease. Each of the characters is painted to carry his own unique character traits that signal just how good this artist is. The golden and aluminum contours cast a spell over the scene. Each building, outfit and piece of foliage is highlighted in some way.
Golden beads frame the scene, while elegant gold scroll work adorn the edges of the lid. The sides of the box are decorated with skillfully painted gold and aluminum floral ornamentation. The box is made out of paper-mache. The box has a hinge from the top of the composition and rests on four legs. Black lacquer covers the exterior and red lacquer covers the interior of the box. The work is signed with the artist's name (Bonokin D.), the village (Palekh), the title ("Dobrynay and Dragon") and the year (2002).
This box is pictured in the new catalogue by L.L. Pirogova Russian lacquer miniature. Origin and Contemporaneity (Yantarny Skaz, 2003) that may confirm its museum quality status. This catalogue has been published after carrying out the exhibition "Origin and Contemporaneity" (Moscow, 2003) where this box has been displayed. After the exhibition it became the property of the Palekh Art School Museum. Afterwards we had a lucky chance to acquire the box from the museum to display it on our website.