A mermaid rises just above the surface of the water and rests her head on an iridescent rock. The rock itself has a shape to it since it is made from an inlay of mother of pearl that rises just slightly above the surface - an extremely lovely effect that enhances the overall gem-like look to the box. The artist, Svetlana Chirkova, draws the face of the calm maiden with a beautiful smoothness and purity, and her copper colored hair seems to glow from the crescent moon right above. Chirkova also paints the sea, sky and water lilies using blues and greens that seem to glisten in the light. Most of the water lily flowers also have an inlay of mother of pearl, but these inlays are a little more subtle, and you may not notice them at first. But sometimes the best boxes don't reveal all of their artistic treasures in one sitting, and this box may fall into that category. The box is made out of high quality papier mache and has a hinge at the top. The beautiful colors of the box extend to all sides and the bottom, where the piece is signed with the name of the artist (S. Chirkova), the title, village and year. Another extraordinary miniature by this Fedoskino artist.

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.)