Palekh Russian Lacquer Box Vasilisa The Beautiful & Moon Horseman Artist Signed
Description: This is a beautiful, rather small (~2 1/2 by ~2") rectangular paper-mache or papier-mâché Russian Lacquer Box with a hinged lid attached to one of the long sides of box and has 4 small feet on the base to support it. The box is marked Palekh and was made at the Palekh school of miniature painting. The box has a flat bottom with small feet at the corners and a hinged lid. The lid is decorated with a hand painted colorful miniature image of a beautiful maiden wearing a red dress with a golden apron and long golden hair. She is standing in the woods with red mushrooms and a flower in front of her. There is a horseman on a on a beautiful steed in the background, He has the moon behind him and he is holding a golden branch in his right hand. This scene represents a scene from the fairy tale titled Vasilisa the beautiful where she meets the Horseman of the moon. The sides of the box, which are black in color are decorated with an exquisite pattern in gold coloring. The inside of the box has the typical red finish you would expect for a Russian Lacquered Box of this type. The box is signed with the initials "LK". There is also the words Palekh followed by the words "Vasilia Pryekrasna" all along the bottom edge of the image. The box shows wonderful detail and beautiful colors; A true beauty and a very seldom seen box in depicting this fairy tale. Please carefully review the photos as they are part and parcel of our description.
Date: Unknown, but most likely middle to late 1900s.
Origin: Palekh, Russia.
Size: This is a small box measuring ~2 1/2" by ~2" and is ~1" high when closed. The box weighs almost 1.5 ounces.
Artist: LK.
Marks: The box has markings in gold colored Cyrillic calligraphy on the bottom of the painting at the edge of the lid, which reads "Palekh followed by the words "Vasilia Pryekrasna" and finally the initials LK". See photos for additional details.
Distinguishing Characteristics - Most Interesting About The Piece: A very beautiful and well done design with beautiful vivid colors. Gold and tempera make this nice box a very good addition to your collection of Russian Lacquer Boxes.
Condition: This SMALL box (~2 ½ x ~2”) is in very good condition. The box has no cracks, breaks, repairs, hairlines, or crazing to the lacquering. The art work on top of the lid is intact, beautiful, well executed, and in very good shape with no losses or fading. The hinge works well and is intact and the interior is clean with vivid red coloring and exhibiting no losses. This is a very nice vintage Russian lacquer box worthy of a spot your collection. Please view the photos for additional condition information.
