This miniature by Fedoskino artist E. Aldoshkina shows a young woman standing in a field of sunflowers. There is not a cloud in the sky - a perfect day. The shape of the box is not anything fancy, but the drawing is done astonishingly well. In her right hand, the woman holds a small colorful butterfly which is done with extreme precision. The delicate wings, the tiny feet, the inquisitive antennae... the artist must well know the anatomy of the insect quite well because it's all drawn with superb realism. Equally well done is the face and body of the woman herself. The strands of long light brown hair are all so well defined and draped perfectly onto her shoulders. And her white dress has a softness you can almost feel. Of course, you can't overlook the star of the show, the beautiful sunflowers. And maybe it's my imagination, but the sunflowers all seem to have their own character, expressed by their petals and the direction they are facing (see the perky one?... the shy one? ... and the one that actually looks like a sun in the sky!). The drawing is framed by a gold ornament and another one decorates the sides. The sides and bottom are black, the interior is red. The box is made out of high quality papier mache and has a nice lacquer finish throughout. The box is signed at the bottom of the drawing with the name of the artist, village and year. A deceptively fine piece from a top Fedoskino artist.

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.)