This panoramic painting depicts three major scenes from the beloved Russian fairy-tale, "The Humpbacked Pony": on the right, Ivan is in the wheat fields, busy overpowering the white mare; on the left, he is catching the legendary firebird, for the fear of being beheaded by the king; finally, in the middle, Ivan is attempting to capture the beautiful maiden by preparing a rich feast in a beautiful tent. The color ensemble of this piece is captivating. The painting is very detailed, with delicate patterns, gold strokes, and impressive color transitions. There is always something new to discover upon closer look, whether it's the humpbacked pony rushing out from behind the tent, or a beautiful emerald-colored firebird in the left corner of the box.

The box is made from papier mache, sits flat (no legs), and does not have a hinge. The interior is red. The sides are decorated with a gold and silver ornament. Signed with the artist's name, village, and year. "Made in USSR" is written on the bottom. Lacquer is in very good condition. A beautiful box.
Note: Andrei Kraikin, the artist of this work, tragically died in 1992 at the age of 31, reportedly as a result of a financial dispute in the early years of the chaotic post-Soviet economy. We were saddened to learn about this, and are honored to have one of his works in our collection.