This box by Fedoskino artist Borisov shows Ivan leaping up high on his white steed to greet the princess standing in the tower. The tsar on the ground below looks up with much interest as he has offered her hand in marriage to anyone who can leap that high and take the ring off her finger. To see how it all turns out, you can go to the Sivka-Burka fairy tale page and read all about it. A good amount of gold trim has been applied to the foreground action, and it is perhaps most brilliant in the fiery mane and tail of the horse. The artist also inlayed pieces of mother of pearl in the peoples' clothing and saddle cloth of the horse, as well as the cupolas of the buildings in the background. These buildings and kingdom walls are particularly effective and provide an appropriate regal backdrop to this handsome scene. The base color of the sides and bottom is black, with a subtle dark green color mixed in. The box is made out of high quality papier mache and has a hinge at the left. It is signed on the bottom with the name of the artist, title and date of completion. Super!

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	9.5

(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.)