Show all images on one page	#008881 Title: Emelya/By the Pike's will Artist: Maslov Vlad Size: 15x19x4 Size (inches): 6x7.5x1.5 Price : $1650 SOLD!

This beautiful piece of genuine Russian artistry was composed by the talented Vladislav Maslov from the town of Dmitrov. It shows the episode from the popular Russian fairy-tale "By the Pike's Will" or "Emelya and the Magic Pike".
In short, this tale is about a young man who finds a special fish when he goes to get water from the river. In return for releasing her, the Magic Pike offers to fulfill Emelia's wishes. Being a lazy fellow, Emelya light-heartedly uses magic forces, asking the pike to help him to perform his chores while he relaxes. He orders his water-pails to go home by itself, which they do, much to the surprise of his sisters-in-law. Then he orders the sledge to go by itself to the nearest forest where his ax falls wood for the fire. Afterwards he gets to the tsar's palace, riding a stove. In the palace he meets the tsar's daughter and falls in love with her. The tale ends happily and finally Emelya marries the tsar's daughter.
The scene depicted on the box's lid shows one of the episodes from this tale: Emelya sits on the stove that goes by itself straight to the Tsar's palace where he will meet the Tsar's daughter, his future wife. The villagers are so frightened, that one of them is felt on the snow with shoulder-yoke and the other lady is covering her child from this "miracle". And only one happy Emely is playing his harmonica and laughing.
The dominated colors are very soft and the tonality is subdued to convey the frozen sense of winter. The artist uses gold paint to accent the composition and make a viewer want to be attracted to it. Every detail is delicately manipulated for a great overall effect. The ground produces most of the action with its swirling currents of snow. This painting is full of life and a zest that Fedoskino artists are masters at bringing out of their work.
The box is constructed from paper-mache. The edges of the lid are bordered with a rich gold line and the box's sides are decorated with silver pattern , which painted against the violet and golden gray colors of the sides. The interior is completed with red lacquer. On the base interior of the box the artist has painted two buckets with water and the magis pike.
The lid is hinged to the left of the composition and the box rests flat. The work is signed with the artists name and the title-"Emelya".