The tale of Puss in Boots unfolds on this impressively sized box from Palekh. The King's carriage winds through the vibrant countryside on a sinuous road leading from the castle. Clever Puss stays ahead of the coach, telling the peasants to declare themselves servants of the Marquis of Carabas. And just who is this mysterious Marquis the Puss serves? None other than the poor son of a miller. The lad panics as Puss tells him the King and Queen are approaching, but Puss has a plan. He takes the lad's clothes and tells him to jump in a river. No matter that he cannot swim; it only adds credibility to his story of being robbed and pushed in. Meanwhile Puss is off to add the final touch. He asks for an audience with the ogre who rules the land. He flatters the ogre, telling him he has heard tales of his shape shifting abilities, but that he has also heard the ogre cannot change into very small beasts. Eager to show off, the ogre turns into a mouse, which Puss promptly devours. He races to the palace gates in time to welcome the royal party to the millers son turned Marquis' new home. The scene is magnificently painted in rich, crisp color accentuated with tasteful metallic accents (which, unfortunately, do not photograph well). The winding composition and slow transition from cool. deep colors to warm brights, leads the eye through the tale and creates a sense of depth. This box is made of high quality papier mache and is signed on the lid with the title, artist's name, village, and date of completion. There is a hinge on the left, and the interior is red lacquer. It stands on four curved legs. A spectacular rendition of a tale seldom seen in lacquer art by M. Marsov.--BOX1077

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.)