The brave knight, Ruslan and his beautiful bride, the princess Ludmila celebrate their wedding with and elaborate feast. Her parents look on as a servant approaches with a baked swan. Ludmila's mother appears happy for the couple, but her father still seems unsure if Ruslan is good enough for his little girl. He's not the only one who seems upset; Ruslan's fellow knights, and even the old court musician, are upset that the gorgeous princess is getting married. It seems that every man there wants her for himself. Ludmila wasn't called a legendary beauty for nothing! Those that aren't angry seem distraught, with one burly knight appearing near tears. (To read the whole fairy tale, click here.) The scene is nicely painted in crisp, bold colors, with well placed silver and gold accents. The wide border of the lid and sides has a thick gold motif, which echoes the visual tone of the work. The box is made of papier mache and is signed on the lid with the title, artist's name (Vitalij Borisov), village, and date of completion. There is a hinge at the top, and the interior is red lacquer. There are two very small dings to the lip of the box, which are not near the artwork, are not visible unless the box is open, and do not compromise the integrity of the work. A bright and lively fairy tale scene.--BOX1301

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
9.0	9.5	9.5	10.0	10.0	48	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.)