The male passenger of an elaborately decorated troika wrings his hands nervously as a tiny dog rushes towards the horses' hooves, barking. Although the female passenger tries to reassure her companion that all will be well, the horses have already been startled, and leap and rear at the commotion. The driver seems merely annoyed, and remains calm and composed behind the reins. The scene is well painted in pale frosty colors, with a nice amount of detail. The easily readable postures and expressions of the figures turn the often seen folk scene into a lively story. This box is made of high quality papier mache and is signed on the lid with the title, artist's name (Golovnev), and village. There is no hinge, and the interior is red lacquer. It rests on four round feet and bears the Kholui insignia and the phrase, "Made in Russia" on its base. An enchanting scene.--BOX1196

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.)