Fedoskino artist Margarita Pichugina has taken elements from different fairy tales here and packaged them into this one intriguing piece. The fairy tale "Ivan Tsarevich, the Firebird, and the Gray Wolf" figures prominently. Just to the left of center you see Ivan and his steed standing before a pillar that advises him which way to go. Other characters in the tale are nearby: the Gray Wolf by a tree in the foreground watches intently, a black crow on the side carries the waters of life and death, and a pinkish firebird flies by on the left hand side (not visible in pictures here). As far as we know, though, the witch Baba-Yaga is not in this fairy tale, though she does seem to get around!

The box is beautifully done by Pichugina with shades of green and subtle colors that are right at home with the surroundings. She also inlayed a piece of mother of pearl (about the size of a half dollar) just to the right of the three headed dragon. The box has a traditional red interior and hinge at the back. It is signed with the name of the artist, village and year. An excellent work by a top Fedoskino artist!

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.)