A panoramic view of St. Petersburg unfolds before your eyes in this piece by Kholui artist A. Gordeev. We will leave it to you to identify the individual structures (if unfamiliar with the city, simply google St. Petersburg images in your browser) but needless to say the artist has brought a number of landmarks together in a visually appealing work. Although the focus is on the architecture, there are a few small people in the scene, too, that can be seen on the bridge and in the boats on the water. The golden leaves of fall make up the far right hand side of the composition and those same leaves extend into the surrounding ornament, as well. Also cutting into this section are the wings of two white doves. The sides are decorated with a leafy ornament, drawn against the traditional black background. The interior is red. The box is made out of high quality papier mache, has a hinge, and sits on four small legs. It is signed with the name of the artist, village and title. A fine piece and great remembrance of one of the world's most beautiful cities.

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.)