This box shows three young women nestled close to each other, one of them sitting in a fine chair and holding an apple in her lap. The ladies are dressed in frilly dresses, kokoshniks and other Russian garb, detailed with razor thin silver and gold lines by Palekh artist Vera Chibisova. The exotic landscape behind them and to the right is filled with ancient architecture, sailing ships and pastel colored hills. The rest of the composition is filled with the incredible gold work of the artist, incorporating flowers, leaves, and curved lines, all reminiscent of some fancy garden somewhere with blossoming plants clinging to elaborate wrought iron metalwork. The box is made out of papier mache and has a hinge at the top. The interior is red. It does not have legs and lies flush on the table surface. It is signed under lid with the name of the artist, village, title and year. Please note that the gold is uniform in radiance throughout. The patches of light and dark in the pictures here are due to the lighting.

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.)