St. George is shown slaying the dragon in this exquisite little work by Palekh artist Vera Smirnova. St. George and the Dragon is an image which is strongly connected to Russian history, appears on the coat of arms of Moscow, and has been a favorite theme of lacquer box artist for many years. The intricacy of this one is amazing, particularly in all the faces. and glistening gilt armor of St. George. The radiant gold background is painted to look like a tattered page from an old scroll, in keeping with the ancient mythical theme. The box has a finely drawn gold ornament at the side and has a hinge at the left. It has a red interior and four small rounded legs. It is signed with the name of the artist, village and title.

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.)