Pushkin sits in a gazebo as the events of his novel "Evgenij Onegin" unfold before him. He watches with interest, his quill at the ready and a scroll bearing the main character's name in hand. The novel is a beloved piece of Russian literature, and inspired Tchaikovsky's opera of the same name. The tale begins with the young Tatiana day-dreaming over a romance. magical creatures and Baba Yaga's chicken legged hut are visible in the distance, symbolic of her childish longings. A sparkling figure, perhaps the personification of love calls to Tatiana through her window, pointing to the arriving Evgenij Onegin. He has been invited by his friend Lensky, who is engaged to Tatiana's sister Olga. The trio make their way through the garden as Tatiana emerges with a letter for Evgenij, professing her love. The background changes to the city of Moscow, where the Onegin has fled after the duel which killed Lensky. Tatiana has also made her way to the city, and has grown out of childish fancies, marrying well. Evgenij begs on one knee for her to accept his letter, but Tatiana remains as cold to his affections as he once was to hers. The scene is beautifully painted in the dusky pastels of twilight and romance. The sides are decorated with and elegant motif in silver and gold. This box is made of high quality papier mache and is signed on the lid with the title, artist's name (Shirokov), and village. There is a hinge at the top, and the interior is red lacquer. There is a latch on the front, and a chain inside to prevent the box from opening too far and stressing the hinges. It rests on four round, golden feet.--BOX1037

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.)