The well regarded Fedoskino artist Sergey Chistov beautifully depicts a scene from the Russian fairy tale "The Frog Princess". A total of 15 people and three white swans are meticulously drawn from one end to the other of this classically shaped casket. Each person has their own look and personality ranging from the Tsar, who has a rather serious expression, to the general public, who have looks of amazement and disbelief on their faces. Meanwhile, Vasilisa (the magical princess who created the lake and the swans all by herself, just by waving her hand) seems to act as if her feat were nothing at all! Chistov has a true talent for creating these scenes with large groups of people, and making everything very colorful and exciting. Here he also inlaid three pieces of mother of pearl in three dresses (including Vasilisa's) and used radiant gold to make the headgear of all the people stand out. He also used shiny gold in the sliver of sky deep in the background. The box a thin gold line border which frames the drawing, and two more winding their way around the sides. The box is made out of high quality papier mache and has a hinge. The interior is red. Signed at the bottom of the composition with the name of the artist, village and year. A masterful work from one of Fedoskino's best genre painters.

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.)