Bidspirit auction | Nikolai Ivanovich Golikov (1924–2011)

Nikolai Ivanovich Golikov (1924–2011) - Box “The Mower”. Palekh, USSR, 1989. Papier-mâché, egg tempera, raised gold, lacquer. 27 by 20 cm; large rectangular box. Condition report: Signs of wear; minor abrasions to the painted surface. Provenance: From the personal working archive of the Golikov family. Created and preserved by Nikolai Ivanovich Golikov. A major late work by Nikolai Ivanovich Golikov, one of the leading masters of the Palekh school, People’s Artist of the RSFSR, and son of Ivan Ivanovich Golikov. The piece presents a large-scale composition structured as a panoramic field. The central figure of a mower is integrated into a richly decorative landscape. The surrounding environment includes stylised vegetal forms, architectural elements, and symbolic motifs. The palette combines насыщенные greens, pink-ochre tones, and gold against a dark ground. Fine detailing is executed using raised gold and the traditional multi-layered tempera technique. Collecting & Investment Potential: Works by Nikolai Ivanovich Golikov are held in major museum collections and form part of the established canon of Palekh miniature painting. Large-scale authorial works are significantly less common than smaller objects. Late-period compositions characterised by complexity and decorative richness are of particular interest to collectors. A large-scale Palekh work by Nikolai Ivanovich Golikov, reflecting the artist’s mature decorative language. Such works are rarely available and are typically acquired at the point of first availability.