In this large work, executed by Mstera artist E. Rachkova, the fairy tale of Old Man Winter (Morozko) is depicted. On the top right, an old man is taking his daughter away from the village and into the cold woods. He will leave her there, on the orders of his wife (her stepmother). But when the winter spirit Morozko, shown on the top left, comes to the young lady and asks her: "Are you warm, my lass?", she politely responds that yes, she is quite warm (despite freezing). So Morozko admires her stoicism and protects her, giving her a warm coat to wear and placing jewels at her feet. The scene has beautiful pale shades of greens, yellows, oranges and other colors. With tree stumps that have been brought to life on the bottom corners, birds, rabbits, deer and other animals, the painting is bursting with life and a large amount of detail. A nicely done gold and silver ornament decorates the top and sides. The box has a hinge and opens up to a red interior. It sits on four small round legs and is signed with the name of the artist, village and title. An impressive work!

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.)