Famed Fedoskino artist Nikolaj Zotov brings us a beguiling scene from the fairytale, The Fish and the Fisherman. Painted with a light palette, the poor fisherman stands on the sea shore, his face wrought with confusion. His greedy wife sits nearby, clutching a piece of cloth, perhaps wishing she had not been so foolish. The broken trough lays beside the wife, and their humble hut sits in the background.

In this box, Zotov has given us an innovative presentation of a classical fairytale. The background of this rather emotionally dark scene is white. The painting continues over the sides of the box, and the goldfish is painted on the front side. The piece also has a distinct shape- the corners slightly protrude, bringing to mind the rocky shore where the scene takes place. Moving this box further from the ordinary is the medium purple of the interior.

This high-quality papier mache box is flush and has a hinge at the top. The bottom is white with blue speckles. This piece is signed by the 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.)