The merchant's daughter and the handsome prince who was trapped in the body of a monster smile fondly at each other as they hold a vase containing the scarlet flower which led to their meeting. This box is made of high quality papier mache and is signed on the lid with the artist's name, village, and date of completion. There is no hinge, and the interior is red lacquer. The piece was done by Palekh artist I. Kotukhina, one of our favorite artists from Palekh because of her refined work. As is often the case, the fine detailed gold lines in this one don't show up well in the monitor image and look much better in person. --BOX1459

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.)