A young girl and her cat watch in awe as the magical stag, Silver Hoof, stands atop their tiny cottage, leaving gems wherever his hooves strike! Her eyes light up as she realizes that this may be the last time she must wear her oversized, hand me down boots, or rely on a thin shawl to keep herself warm. Tiny stones and chips of mother of pearl gleam in a textural representation of the magical riches. The scene is framed with a design of a wintry forest, atop shimmering gold leaf. The body of the box is painted black with swirls of green. This box is made of high quality papier mache, and is signed on the lid with the artist's name (V. Bolshakova), village, and date of completion. There is a hinge on the left, and the interior is red lacquer. It stands on four round legs. A fine affordable piece similar to a rectangular one that we've had in the past ( click here to see), but this one is slightly smaller and in an oval format.

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.)