Fedoskino artist L. Mochalova, who had a box included in the recent book Russian Lacquer Miniatures did this very pretty work depicting the fairy tale "Alice in Wonderland". Many objects, and the clothes of Alice herself, are bathed in brush strokes of radiant gold leaf, drawing attention to them and setting them apart from the otherwise soft pastel palette of their surroundings. Mochalova has a beautiful style in painting faces in miniature (see The Dance) and Alice is drawn here with great beauty, as well. The box has a very refined shape with gentle curves, and on the top there is a plate of fruit that has been painted on an inlay of mother of pearl. The bottom of the box is a teal color with gold and blue specks. The inside is red. The box is made out of high quality papier mache and rests on four curved legs. It is signed on the lid with the name of the artist and title. A lovely piece from a very talented 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	9.5

(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.)