The image of the Snow Princess is shown looming above the children Gerda and Kay in this magnificent miniature by Palekh artist Vera Smirnova. The characters come from Hans Christian Andersen's tale of The Snow Queen and are drawn true to the spirit of the story. The pale face of Snow Queen herself is quite beautiful, but one can sense the ultimate coldness in her heart. In contrast, the caring face and embrace of Gerda, along with the appreciative Kay, is especially touching. There are large patches in the background behind the Snow Queen which have a curvy line pattern set against a radiant gold. This pattern transitions into a more structured design in the Snow Queen's headdress, filled regal touches throughout. The artist employs even a more delicate use of gold in the hair thin lines that accentuate the clothing of the children. There is a lovely gold border on the side with small silver triangles, mimicking the splinters from the mirror. The artist also embellished the background with small white dots, representing snow. The bottom of the box has a small ridge at the perimeter, raising it just slightly above the surface of the table. The drawing is signed on the bottom with the name of the artist, village and year.

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.)