The festive week of Maslenitsa is shown all around this fine miniature, painted by the Russian artist Petrova. For those unfamiliar with Maslenitsa, you can read all about it at this link on wikipedia. It is a time for great celebration, and it spirit is captured beautifully in this box, where you will find a troika racing through the snow or wandering minstrels playing music. Perhaps cutest of all, though, is the balalaika-playing bear, an animal who often makes his appearance during this time (Yes, it's true, they do!) Not to be outdone is the baby bear standing next to him, playing a tambourine. Meanwhile, the sun on the top of the box, which looks very similar to a bliny (or vice-versa) shines over everyone. The box consists of the top half which has all the drawings, and the short base which has a modest dot ornament. The base sits on three round legs. On the bottom, the artist writes his name (Perov), the village and title. Very nicely done for the reasonable price.

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	9.5	10.0	10.0	48.5	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.)