Young Katya opens the Malachite box given to her by the Mistress of Copper Mountain to find a wealth of beautiful jewels in this scene from the fairy tale, "The Stone Flower." Katya's form and face are lovely, and brilliant foil underlays add a lovely magical glow to the scene. This box is made of high quality papier mache and is signed on the lid with the artist's name (Meshaninova), village, and date of completion, and bears the production number and phrase, "Made in USSR" on its flush base. There is no hinge, and the interior is red lacquer.

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
9.0	9.0	10.0	10.0	10.0	48	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.)