Show all images on one page	#006320 Title: Tale of Tsar Saltan (Magic squerrel) Artist: Semin Nikolay Size: 15.5x26x4 Size (inches): 10.25x6x1.5 Price : $475 SOLD!

This entrancing piece of superior Russian artistry was created by established Kholui master N. Semin. There is a distinct sense of overwhelming clarity in his pieces. Well organized artistry that is precise.
Here the artist depicts a scene from the imaginative story entitled, "The Tale of Tsar Saltan". The story is also known as "The Princess Swan." The scene shows one of the three wonders of Gvidon's island: a squirrel that is cracking golden nuts with emeralds inside and singing songs. The squirrel is sitting in the crystal house guarded by a warrior. A scribe is recording every golden shell and every emerald with the help of a girl. Prince Gvidon is leading his guests to this wonder. Here the artist managed to reproduce skillfully emotions of the characters by means of depicting different complicated gestures and animated facial expressions.
The drawing is quite fine, with small details in the characters' faces and costumes, some architecture and the landscape. The figures show the influence of icon art, with their stylized appearance and slightly elongated figures. Each of the characters has an individual look, with well-defined features and detailed costumes. The colorful drawing, with warm orange-red, pale and bright greenish, pale and bright blue, olive and brown tones, contrasts nicely with the black lacquer.
The composition on the lid, and the box's sides are decorated with the beautiful gold patterns. The box is constructed out of high-grade paper-mache. The lid is hinged on top and the box stands on a flat bottom. The exterior of the piece is painted with black lacquer and interior is painted with red lacquer. The box is signed with the artist's name, the village of Kholui, and the year of 2005.