Nikolaj Zotov ranks as one of the contemporary masters in Fedoskino and we always love to present his works. This is one of the most beautiful that we've had. It shows scenes from the lovely Russian fairy tale of "Finist the Falcon" (read it here). The box has a wonderful airy, uplifting, even joyous spirit to it. Partly this is due to the whitish base color that Zotov lately has favored for many of his pieces. But there is also the open porch-like space (first two pictures on left) to enhance that airiness of the piece, perhaps evoking a feeling of a fresh breeze on a clear summer day. Inside is the beautiful Marya and her mother. The style it not entirely realistic, but they have a lifelike quality to them that it is difficult to put into words. Adding to work's positive energy are several incredible mother-of-pearl inlays in the women's clothing and in the city scene through the doorway. Everything in this box seems to have such a good spirit to it, as if in celebration of life itself. Nowhere is this better exemplified than in the scene at the top as Marya - and your imagination - seem to soar to new heights. In this drawing, behind the falcon and Marya, is a spectacular inlay of mother-of-pearl in the sky. The country scene shown on the side, meanwhile, is quite beautiful, too, drawn with superb perspective. Throughout the work a gold border adorns much of the space not reserved for the paintings. The box has a hinge and opens up to reveal a gray interior. Three silvery pearls are fastened to the surface inside. The box is signed with the name of the artist, village and year. (By the way, none of the pictures here really seems to do it justice so we will probably try to take some new photos again in the future.)--BOX1022

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.)