This box features a scene from the fairy tale, "Finist the Falcon" in traditional Fedoskino style. The minimalistic black background sets off the metallic paints of the Marya's costume and Finist's golden crown and body beautifully. The young maiden, Marya, speaks to the enchanted falcon, who is really a prince under an evil spell, as she serenely works on her embroidery. She looks away, blushing, as her veil swirls delicately behind her. Finist is perched on the back of a nearby chair and seems immensly interested. Golden rays of light surround him, showing his enchanted nature. The silvery sky is visible through the intricate panes of a window in the background. This box is made of high quality papier mache and is signed on the lid with the artist's name, village, date of completion, and the factory control number "676". It has a hinge on the left and the underside of the lid bears the Fedoskino insignia. Just under the lip of the top, there are a couple very small cracks that do not affect the drawing and are not very visible. The small flaws have been taken into account in pricing the box. A gold decoration circles the box, and it stands on a flush base. A lovely, traditional Fedoskino fairy tale piece.--BOX1227

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
8.5	9.5	10.0	10.0	10.0	48	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.)