The Sirin of Russian legend - half beautiful woman, half bird - is shown perched on a small branch in this colorful sparkling work from Fedoskino standout Elena Khomutinnikova. The Sirin can mean a number of things, and is similar to the Firebird in that it can symbolize eternal happiness. You can read a fuller description of the creature by clicking here.

The Sirin is entire focus of this box and is drawn with vibrant color and a dazzling iridescent mother of pearl inlay in her clothing. Gold leaf embellishes the crown, wings and plumage and enhances the overall radiance of the work. The beautiful face of this mythical being, as well as the details throughout, are executed with a very skilled hand. The sides and bottom of the box are dark brown sprinkled with a healthy dusting of gold specks. (In some of the pictures of the box below, the sides look more bluish, but this is just a trick of the lighting.) The box lies flat, is made out of high quality papier mache and has a hinge at the left. It is signed at the bottom of the composition with the name of the artist, village and year. An eyecatching image of this fabled creature painted by one of Fedoskino's top artists!

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	9.5

(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.)