This traditional Palekh work, painted on a jewelry box, depicts the story of Tsar Saltan. In this scene, Prince Gvidon, the long-lost son of Tsar Saltan, prepares to welcome his father and his retinue to his island kingdom. The drawing on the lid is a fine example of the classic Palekh style. The human figures are somewhat elongated, and dominate the scene. There are several buildings in the background, and very free use of perspective is employed in the depiction of the architectural details, so that the artist is able to convey both the action between the characters, and a sense of the general appearance of Gvidon's kingdom. Nebogatov uses silver lines to create details in the water, and gold paint to mark details in the trees and the buildings. Both gold and silver are used to draw folds and patterns in the characters' clothes. (The picture on the left gives some idea of this, but as usual the effect cannot be adequately be captured in these photos.) The faces of the characters are quite appealing.

This box has a pleasing shape. The lid has a slightly curved lower edge. The box also features a drawer in the front, which can be opened by pulling on the metal knob (which has been painted gold and covered with laquer). The sides of the box, and the drawer are painted with a delicately drawn and elegant border in gold and silver. It is made out of high quality papier mache and has a hinge at the top. The box is signed with the name of the artist (Mikhail Nebogatov), village, and year (2002).

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.)