An angel with a raised sword look looks down from the heavens at the mortal world below. Above him is a white dove, symbolizing the Holy Spirit. The silver lines on the angel, his wings and the dove are ultra thin and enhance the white pureness of the theme. There are some golden embellishments, as well, in the form of golden rays emanating from the Holy Spirit. This box, drawn by Palekh artist M. Negogatov, is absolutely tiny and wouldn't even have space to fit a paper clip, albeit the paper clip I tried might have been a little larger than usual. The sides have a very elegant gold ornament. The box is made out of high quality papier mache, does not have a hinge, has a red interior, and sits on four small round legs. Signed at the bottom of the composition 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.)