Marya holds a very small feather from Finist the Falcon, not knowing yet that this will turn into her true love. Palekh artist Vera Chibisova painted this work, and drew Marya's face with a realistic softness, a feat made all the more difficult with the use of the egg tempera paints. Her long braided hair is delicately accented with fine gold details, and a much bolder use of gold is used elsewhere. The gold in her earrings, kokoshnik and bracelets are all done with an extraordinary amount of skill, detail and radiance. In this vision of Marya, Chibisova makes her look truly royal! The gold in the foliage which fills up much of the composition's left side is no less spectacular, and a tiny landscape with a faraway kingdom can be seen in the distance behind her. The artist draws a beautiful ornament on the side with more gold leaves and flowers, similar to the work on top. The box is signed on the inside of the lid with the name of the artist, title, 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.)