Show all images on one page	#003135 Title: Farmer Gils of Ham Artist: Zhiryakov Alexey Size: 24x18x5.5 Size (inches): 9.5x7x2 Price : $1650 SOLD!

Alexey Zhiryakov is an outstanding modern Palekh artist responsible for this gorgeous work. Alexey comes from the famous family of Palekh artist. His father, Yugeniy Zhiryakov, and mother, Galina Zhiryakova were the leading Palekh artists during the Soviet Union epoch. They still work, and impart their painting experience to a new generation of artists. His brother, Andrey, is also a very talented artist whose works were displayed on our website.
The subject of the work is based on a short story written by J.R.R. Tolkien in 1937 and published in 1949. The story describes a series of encounters between Farmer Giles and a wily dragon named Chrysophylax. It is more like a folk-tale than the sweeping epics which Tolkien is better known for.
Farmer Giles was not a hero. He was fat and red-bearded and enjoyed a slow, comfortable life. One day a rather deaf and short-sighted giant blundered on to his land. Farmer Giles managed to scare him away with a blunderbuss shot in its general direction. The people of the village cheered: Farmer Giles was a hero. His reputation spread far and wide across the kingdom. Giles was rewarded by the King of the Middle Kingdom, with a sword named Caudimordax or “Tailbiter”, a powerful weapon against dragons.
The giant reports to its monstrous friends that there are no more knights, just stinging flies, in the Middle Kingdom. This prompts a dragon, Chrysophylax Dives, to investigate the area — and everyone turns to the accidental hero Farmer Giles to deal with it.
The composition is painted in bright tempera paints and richly detailed with gold and aluminum paints. The edges of the lid are adorned with gold leafy pattern accented with aluminum paint. Two strings of the same gold and aluminum leafy patterns run parallel on the box's sides serving as a frame for another gorgeous pattern. This pattern is painted in bright red and white oils in the form of conjunct dragons, and detailed with gold paint.
The box is made out of paper-mache. Black lacquer covers the exterior and red lacquer covers the interior of the box. The box has a hinge above the composition and rests on four legs. The work is signed with the artist's name, the title, the year of 2007 and the village of Palekh.