Characters and images from Charles Perrault's fairy tale are weaved together beautifully in this vertical composition by Palekh artist Vera Smirnova. At the top, you see the sleeping princess herself, at rest for a 100 years. Beside her, with a magic wand, is the good fairy who saved her from a sure death. The evil fairy, meanwhile, is below them and despite the beauty of her costume, she looks like she could have come straight from the underworld. The heroic handsome prince, atop his favorite steed, is drawn at the bottom. The three sections are seamlessly worked into the composition together. The gold details from each are incredible in their intricacy and vibrancy. A dark castle occupies a section to the right and brings a more mysterious and atmospheric setting into the piece. The box has a black background and is adorned with a gold ornament on the side. It does not have legs but is lifted just slightly off the table with the slight curvature around the bottom perimeter. The box is made out of high quality papier mache and has a hinge at the left. It is signed with the name of the artist, village and year.

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.)