This traditional Palekh box depicts the tale of the Dead Princess and the Seven Bogatyrs, a Russian story that is analogous to Snow White and the Seven Dwarves in western European folklore. In this work, the artist doesn't depict one specific scene from the story, but rather a general image of the tale. The Bogatyrs' house in the woods is drawn in the center of the image, and the warriors themselves are gathered around a table inside. In the foreground the Princess stands holding the poisoned apple. Looking at this work, it is easy to see the influence of icon art. There is a free use of perspective, and part of the building is cut away to reveal the people inside, drawn in a much larger scale than the architecture. The background is quite stylized, with trees and land features having a rather two-dimensional appearance. The people are drawn with somewhat elongated proportions, and they recall the figures in icons; for example, the Bogatyr at the top center of the table is reminiscent of images of Christ. The colors are vivid, with bright orange and red, and light yellow in the central details making the main characters stand out against the landscape. There are good details in both the characters' costumes and the background--for example, there is a bird's nest in the tree in the upper left corner.

The box is made of papier-mache. It has a hinge and a flat bottom, and is signed with the artist's name (A. V. Bokareva), village and year (2002).

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.)