In our experience, the Tale of the Golden Cockerel may not be the most popular of all Russian fairy tales - it doesn't really have a happy end, after all - but it may be the most interesting. And in this box by Fedoskino artist Sergej Zotov, the tale is presented in a visually intriguing way. On the sides, one sees the main characters in the story - King Dadon, the magican and the Shamakha Queen. The magician (in the bottom picture on the left hand sides) wants his reward - the Shamakha Queen! - for the service that he provided, and Dadon doesn't want to hand her over. Zotov depicts these two faces with marvelous expressions and great intricacy. The detail is so good you can even see the "crow's feet" near the eye of the older magician. Meanwhile, the Shamakh queen in the center is painted perfectly in the context of the story - she is absolutely uncaring regarding the outcome of this feud, perhaps even thinking it is funny. All of the three characters here are highlighted with gold leaf accents, mostly on the edges of the clothing and jewelry. The kingdom in the background also has small places of gold in the crosses and cupolas of the churches. Meanwhile, looming menacingly sitting in a cloud on a spire at the top of the box. Soon he will soon swoop down and kill the king. The artist paints a very classy looking gold ornament on the lip of the box at the bottom. All in all, a great looking lacquer miniature that would hold its own in the best of collections.

The box is made out of high quality papier mache and has a hinge near the top. It is signed with the name of the artist and title of the work.

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.)