Tiny Thumbelina takes her skirt in her hands and gets ready to curtsy to the young lady from above - "hello, pleased to meet you!" They look each other in the eyes, smile, and seem to immediately find a special connection between them, despite their difference in size and age. An interested butterfly can be seen nearby, as can a number of lady bugs, all of which are done in relief, rising just above the surface of the box. Some details in the clothing and in the center of the flower are painted in radiant gold leaf and add pizazz to the blue and light green color palette. Part of Thumbelina also has a nice iridescent inlay of mother of pearl which brings additional light into the scene. The leaves, ladybugs and two more butterflies are drawn on the side of the box. The bottom is light green and has the name of the artist (T. Volodina), village, title and year. A delightful miniature all around!

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.)