This tall box from Kholui with drawings on all four sides and the top has it all - crisply drawn images, vivid colors and unbridled artistic creativity. On one side there is an Emelya-like lad (with a bottle of something in his pocket) trying to reel in one of the two fish swimming under the ice. Behind him is a cat looking on. On the top you see a mermaid emerging from the icy cold water and giving something to the young man. (Any idea what it is? Can't really tell.) That same mermaid can be seen on another side of the box, enjoying tea with the young man from a samovar. A sea horse sits in a glass jar behind her and two cows peer out from under the floor. The two narrow sides, meanwhile, show a wide band of sea life from top to bottom and townsfolk look in at them, as if at an aquarium. But the viewing works the other way, too, as a fish and a frog stare down a snowman outside. The artist has accentuated each scene with some very fine gold leaf. The ornament, also done in gold leaf with small patches of green and red, decorates the space between the lid and the drawings on the side. The box is made out of high quality papier mache and has a hinge. It rests on four small legs. It is signed with the name of the artist, village and title.

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.)