A young girl smiles winsomely as she tries to stop her kitten from escaping before the picture's finished. The girl is still in her nightgown, which shimmers with mother of pearl. Her deep blue lace dress is draped half forgotten over her lap. She insists that kitty's belled ribbon must be tied on in a pretty bow before she gets dressed. Kitty seems none too happy with her finery, and scrabbles desperately to be freed. She will never be able to catch a bird with that bell on! The soft, sentimental colors against a rich, warm background add an intimate feel. The scene is well painted in a realistic style, with a nice use of the depth of lacquer. There are a few faint scratches which do not appear to threaten the integrity of the painting. This box is made of high quality papier mache and is signed discretely on the lid with the artist's name (A. Zimin) and village. There is a hinge at the top, and the interior is red lacqer. The base of this piece is flush. Charming.--BOX1180

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	9.0

(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.)