This large casket depicts a bride of Old Russia, probably17th century, getting ready for her wedding. Her friends and family members are helping her to get dressed according to careful traditions. One woman brushes her long dark hair,and soon will plait it into a braid. (This will be the last time she is supposed to show her hair to anyone but her husband; after she is married her headdresses will hide her hair.)

The composition is based on "The Bride's Attire", a work by19th century painter Konstantin Makovskij, who is famous for his paintings of old Russian life. (Another of his most famous works is known as "The Boyar's Wedding.") The original version of this composition was done in 1889. The artist here, Sharygina, does a fine job reproducing the fine details and the atmosphere of the original work. There are so many things happening. One of the bride's bridesmaids sits at her feet, perhaps reassuring her or saying something to ease her nerves. To the left of them, a woman stands with the bride's beautiful kokoshnik (headdress) on a plate. A number of other guests all watch the bride, and each has a somewhat different expression. On the far left, a man tries to enter, only to be kept out of the room by one of the women. This man holds a malachite casket of jewels in his hand--perhaps he is the groom or one of his friends,bringing an early present to the bride? (Some of the detail here is partly hidden by the glare of our scanner.)There are count less beautiful details in the lavish costumes, and nice touches like jewelry in the jewelry chest in front of the bride, and the shoes lying by the trunk on the right. Many of the costumes have trim and other details done with gold leaf and metallic paint, and mother-of-pearl inlay gives a special radiance to the bride's gown. There is a very pleasant, airy and light atmosphere in the room, created by the bright spots of sunlight shining through the window onto the wall.The drawing is very fine and skillfully done; the photos do not do justice to all the details.

The box is made of high-quality papier-mache. It has a hinge and four legs. A large and carefully drawn floral ornament surrounds the sides of this very impressive-looking box. The work is signed with the name of the artist (Mikhail Nebogatov), the title and original author (Makovskij), and the year (2002). If you have been looking for a monumental casket with a classic drawing, this would be an excellent piece. Or perhaps you know someone who is getting married? This box would be the ultimate wedding gift, an heirloom to be treasured through the generations.

Lacquerbox Condition Ratings

Surface Condition (exterior)	Surface Condition (interior/bottom)	Box Materials and Soundness	Hinge and Lid Placement	Signature	Total Rating	Mother-of-pearl Condition
9.5	9.5	10.0	10.0	10.0	49	N/A

(Each category rated 1-10. For low scores, look for explanation in the description of box. In general, any total rating over 40 is excellent. For more information on rating system, click here.)