This box, painted by Fedoskino artist Irina Turbeneva, seems to depict the Tale of the Golden Cockerel. Here we see Tsar Dadon who has returned with his Queen of Shamakha. The people of the court whisper about her while a young woman in the front presents a religious icon, perhaps trying to ward off any evil that might come with the new queen. (To find out what happens next, read the rest of this fairy tale here.) This unusually-shaped box comes to life with Turbeneva's distinctive style and lovely palette of reds, yellows, warm blues and greens. Gold accents perfectly highlight the clothing of the characters. The box has a hinge, is made of high quality papier mache, and has a red lacquer interior. It is signed with the village and artist, Turbeneva, whose work is featured in the book "Russian Lacquer Miniatures, Palekh, Mstiora, Fedoskino, Kholui".

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.)