This piece presents a moment from the Tale of Tsar Saltan when Prince Gvidon shoots down a hawk who was chasing a white swan, and the swan turns into a beautiful princess. The inner circle of the box has a luminous glow, as if hit by a spotlight, and shows the swan in the center with the evil hawk at the circle's perimeter. Just outside this golden circle is the prince himself, with the newly transformed princess to the right. They look each other longingly and with sweetness. You just know this fairy tale will have a happy ending (which it does) and they will live happily ever after (which they do). The box has a fine border on the top and a more elaborate one on the sides. The slight curvature of the sides also lends a very elegant look to the work. The box is made out of high quality papier mache and sits on three round legs. It is signed with the name of the artist, M. Nebogabov, 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.)