It is approaching midnight and Clara has awoken to a virtual house war between the little toy soldiers and scores of mice, led by the mouse-king sitting on the ornate antique chair. The nutcracker has come to life and shouts out orders to the troops on the right. Who will win the battle is anyone's guess, but it looks like the soldiers have an ally in the form of an owl who seems to be swooping down on some unsuspecting little mice in search of a tasty meal. Meanwhile, a cat sleeps soundly in chair behind Clara. (Wake her up! She could help, too!) Drosselmeyer (Clara's Godfather and a toymaker) straddles a clock at the top left and waves his feathered cap.

The composition is comprised of many smaller objects (like mice, toys, ornaments, dolls, etc.) and thus captures that Christmas feeling where presents, stockings, decorations, food and children seem to be everywhere. Clara stands in the center of all of this, and her dress mimics the shape of the Christmas tree to the top left, her pretty face perhaps symbolically being the golden star. As usual, Smirnova paints with incredible detail, accentuating most objects with radiant gold or silver lines. The images are whimsical and spirited - a perfect reflection of the mood. A thin gold ornament frames the composition, and a more elaborate one, with gold and silver decorates the sides. The box is made out of high quality paper mache and has a hinge at the left. It stands on four small legs. The box is polished to perfection with a nice lacquer finish. The inside is traditional read. Signed at the bottom of the composition with the name of the artist, village, title and year. Get ready for Christmas, this Nutcracker lacquer box masterpiece has already arrived!

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.)