A colorful cast of characters from Pushkin's "Tale of the Golden Cockerel" are painted on this oval shaped box from the village of Kholui. The sorcerer, Tsar Dadon, the Shamakha Queen, and two townsfolk stand at the gates of the tsar's kingdom. The sorcerer wants the rewards that he were promised to him, but his demands will be falling on deaf ears, as the powerful Tsar has other things on his mind. It will be the Golden Cockerel, though, that gets the last word in the end.

The scene is beautifully painted with vivid colors and great detail. The faces are all drawn especially well. With his mouth open wide, Tsar Dadon looks like an unappreciative blowhard, who has a lot of power. The sorcerer, on the other hand, looks he is being persistent in his demands, but his clever and shifty look may not be working to his advantage. The Shamakha Queen stands silently off to the side, with a look that is aloof and uncaring. There is a good amount of smartly placed gold leaf which beautifully highlights the people and objects. Gold and silver ornamentation decorate the top and sides, as well. The box is made out of high quality papier mache and has a hinge at the top. It is signed on the bottom with the name of the artists, I. Medvedev and M. Medvedeva, the village, the title and year. A fine looking original work from 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.)