The entire palace gazes skywards as the fool of the world welcomes the princess onto his magical flying ship, perhaps asking where she would like to honeymoon.The royal family waves their handkerchiefs in farewell as the old noblemen wave panic and beg the Tsar not to let his daughter marry a peasant! It is no use; the fool of the world, with the help of his extraordinary friends, has easily completed each of the Tsar's challenges and, more importantly, the princess has fallen in love with him. It seems there is a bit of romantic tension between the palace staff and the fool's crew, as they glance slyly at each other, while feigning disinterest. Palekh artist D. Bonokin has used warm, creamy tones for the scene, which seems to glow against the black lacquer background. Generous golden accents shimmer and wink throughout, adding just the right touch of magical sparkle for a fairy tale scene. This box is made of high quality papier mache and is signed on the lid with the title, artist's name, village, and date of completion. There is a hinge at the top, and the interior is red lacquer. It stands on four curved legs.

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.)