A pretty young woman has her fortune told by a gypsy in this classic Fedoskino scene entitled "The Fortune Teller" by Golubenkova. The artwork on this box is nice, with good details, bright colors and an evokative atmosphere. The faces are well-drawn in the traditional Fedoskino style, with large eyes ad rosy faces. The costume of the girl on the left is painted over aluminium leaf, which gives it a silvery iridescence under the thin coating of purple paint on the jacket, and a warm golden-looking glow under the thicker application of red paint on the skirt. Her apron has mother-of-pearl inlay. The artist also uses metallic foil on the girl's shawl and the costume of the woman on the right. The gold trim on her dress seems to glow, and her skrit has a nice silvery undertone. There is mother-of-pearl in the tabletop as well, and the artist surrounds the three candles with an aura of gold paint. This helps create a warm feeling in the room, so that the viewer can almost sense the cozy atmosphere.

The border on this piece is nicely done: it is thin lines of gold foil, carefully hand-placed to form a simple line border. On the corners, the artist uses red and orange paint to add interest. Simple yet elegant! The piece is made from papier-mache, and it is signed with the name of the artist, village and year (2002). We have a couple of these nice little boxes by Golubenkova; they are all quite attractive, and would make great gifts or a nice addition to your own collection.--BOX1403

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	9.5	10.0	10.0	48.5	9.5

(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.)