Palekh, Kholuy - Box - papier-mâché

Vintage Russian Lacquer Box – Hand-Painted Scene Inspired by Alexander Pushkin’s Fairy Tale “The Tale of the Dead Princess and the Seven Knights” – “The Crystal Coffin: The Awakening of the Dead Princess and the Tsarevich” – Black Lacquer and Gold-Coloured Ornament, 1980s

Material: The box is rectangular in shape and made of pressed papier-mâché, finished on the exterior with glossy black oil-based lacquer. The box stands on four decorative shaped feet.

Ornament: The composition on the lid is framed by a fine decorative gold border. The sloping edges of the lid are decorated around the entire perimeter with an elegant, scrolling floral ornament executed in gold leaf. The interior of such boxes was traditionally finished with bright red or cinnabar-coloured lacquer.

Subject: The painted scene illustrates an episode from classical Russian literature, inspired by Alexander Pushkin’s The Tale of the Dead Princess and the Seven Knights: “The Crystal Coffin – The Awakening of the Dead Princess and the Tsarevich.”

Technique: The lacquer painting is characterised by a high level of detail, smooth colour transitions and a distinctive luminous effect achieved through the layering of transparent paints and the use of gold assist — extremely fine gold strokes applied to clothing and decorative elements.

Similar objects were handmade by Soviet and Russian masters associated with the Palekh or Kholuy lacquer-painting traditions during the second half of the 20th century, particularly in the 1980s. Such boxes are appreciated as collectible examples of Russian decorative and applied arts.