A mermaid rests against a large rock near the shore. The sea is choppy and a sailing ship travels close to the shore. An old Russia village, a windmill, tiny people, and even a dog are visible in the background. Seagulls fly overhead and enliven the atmosphere even more. The center of attention, of course, is the mermaid, and she is indeed quite lovely with her innocent child-like features, flowers in her hair and pearls around her arm. The artist, M. Galyamina, painted a shell on the rock, too, and applied a generous layer of radiant gold leaf to it. Gold leaf was also used to adorn the outer ring on the top and bottom of the box. The sides, bottom, and interior of the box (all in shades of blue) show a unique look at the undersea world, populated with old shipwrecks,aquatic vegetation, and several schools of fish, including some fine looking stingrays on the very bottom. The box is made out of high quality papier mache and has a hinge at the left. It is signed under the lid with the name of the artist, village and title. One of the most exquisite mermaid scenes that we've come across in a long time!

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.)