In a climactic scene from the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale "The Little Mermaid", Palekh artist Vera Smirnova juxtaposes a joyous moment in the life of two individuals with the sad fate of another. Valuing the life and happiness of the person whom she loved over her own well-being, the Little Mermaid could not do the evil act that the witch called for in order to break her curse so that she could return to the sea with the other mermaids. Smirnova does a wonderful job of showing in the mermaid's face her heartbreak and anguish, and contrasting it with the passion and joie de vivre of the prince and princess above, who are oblivious to the sad ending to come. The clothing of the mermaid and the couple is highly detailed and glistening with gold accents. Meanwhile, the simpler green hue of the mermaids in the distance provides a nice neutral setting to the foreground action. The box has a nontraditional silver and black border along the sides which extends to the bottom of the box (visible in the close up photo). Only the perimeter of the box touches the surface of the table so the design on the bottom is not likely the bottom will get scratched. It is made out of high quality papier mache and has a hinge at the left. The box is signed with the name of the artist, village and title.

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.)