The hero Matyusha Pelepny's adventure unfolds in shimmering splendor on this box by Stepanov. While seeking his fortune, he came upon an untended nest of baby birds, and took care of them until the mother returned. The artist has cleverly depicted a family of mythical siren-birds. Usually appearing on the edges of a scene, they indicate a magical theme. Grateful, the mother bird offered Matyusha a drink from an enchanted pitcher, giving him incredible strength. He next meets a Tsar who promises all manner of riches if Matyusha brings him a princess of legendary beauty from a far off kingdom. On arriving, Matyusha is presented with a series of seemingly impossible tasks, including cutting a tree with one strike, and taming an untamable horse. Thanks to his magical strength, the tasks are completed easily. Matyusha returns with the Princess, who is quickly married to his patron. The guests of the bride, especially her father, look on sadly. Perhaps they have heard of this duplicitous Tsar before. He has already banished Matyusha, with nary a cent. As Matyusha wanders, he meets a shepherd, and recognizes him as the greedy Tsar, who has lost everything. It seems that the princess grew disgusted with his lack of strength, and sent him packing. Matyusha returns, and the princess sees that he was the one who had performed the impossible tasks to win her. Matyusha and the princess married and lived happily ever after. The box is beautifully painted, with a generous amount of thin gold and silver accents and shimmering metallic paints, giving it a magical feel, which, sadly, does not show up well in photographs. The box has a lively gleam that has to be seen in person to be fully appreciated. This box is made of high quality papier mache and is signed on the lid with the title, artist's name, and village. There is a hinge at the top, and the interior is red lacquer. The base of the piece is flush. There is a shallow scratch on the bottom of the box, but it does not appear to compromise the integrity of the work. Stunning!--BOX1078

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.)