Russian lacquer box artists don't often do plates, but when they do, it can sometimes be quiet special, as in the case of this one by Mstera artist A. Shirokov. The composition depicts the "The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom" with the central characters standing in the center. The tale itself has orthodox foundations and the white dove that Fevronia is holding is often thought of as a symbol of peace, love and hope. The title of the work is written in the brown area to the top right, and just below that are the words "And they ruled in the city, following all commandments and God's will". Wikipedia has a nice little synopsis of the story which you can read here. The details on the box are done quite well, as one might expect from an artist of Shirokov's stature. The shades of greens, ochres and other pale colors in the background give it a distinctive and welcoming look. And the gold and silver ornament around the perimeter is superb. The overall handsomeness of the piece is interrupted briefly by the small whimsical touches of a dog at their reet and a very small rabbit added to the scene on the left. Very cute! The plate is made out of high quality papier mache. It is signed at the bottom with the name of the artist and village.

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.)