Young St. Nicholas is deep in prayer amid a tangled thicket on this stunning work by Eduard Makarov. A vision of the golden domed which will be built in his name rises from the marshy banks of the Ucha River. Three angels, symbolizing the Holy Trinity, soar through the heavens above the church. The scene is marvelously painted with painstaking attention to detail and a breathtaking illusion of depth achieved through a myriad of thin layers of lacquer. An unusually shaped, large inset of mother adds shimmer and dimension, projecting from the surface of the box to frame the church. The metallic and iridescent palette, which has become a signature trait of Makarov's lacquer art, gives a feeling of magic and splendor. The sides are adorned with a pattern evocative of reeds, which melts into the swirling green and gold base, flecked with mother of pearl, representing of the eddies of the river. This box is made of high quality papier mache and is signed on the base with the title, artist's name, village, and date of completion. There is a hinge at the top, and the interior is a variegation from deep copper to silver, over silver foil, with copper and gold colored accents. A fascinating work. --BOX1009

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.)