A powerful storm is about to move through the area, and a child is quickening her step to carry her little brother to safety. This large box is an example of Fedoskino old school painting at its finest, and the artist of the piece, Mikhail Kornienko, is a recognized master in drawing scenes like this. Works by Kornienko, including his trademark poetic landscapes, have appeared in books, and he has made an outstanding contribution to Fedoskino art over the years.

In this work, the artist paints the two figures with uncanny realism right down to the toenails of the young girl's feet. The faces are very sympathetic and you feel as if you want to do everything in your power to help these two poor souls caught in a frightening situation. Closer to the horizon, however, the sky takes on more silvery tones and prevents the composition from becoming too gloomy. The scene comes from a Russian masterpiece oil painting by Konstantin Makovsky, which is currently in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.

The box has black sides and bottom, with no ornamentation, and a red interior. It sits on four very small legs and has a hinge on the left. The lacquer has thinned a bit over the years, but overall it looks very good for a box done more than 50 years ago, in 1963. The only real flaws are some cracks in the papier mache in one corner (shown below). The papier mache is in no danger of pulling off completely, but at some point it could be fixed if one wanted to do so. For now, though, we will leave it as is and offer it to you at a great price. The box is signed with the name of the artist, village, and year.

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
8.0	9.0	10.0	10.0	10.0	47	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.)