Show all images on one page	#001102 Title: Tale of Golden Rooster Artist: Strunin Konstantin Size: 19.5x14x3 Size (inches): 7.75x5.5x1.25 Price : $950 SOLD!

This wonderful piece of art was created by outstanding Mstera artist Konstantin Strunin. His works always stand out for peculiar style and high quality of execution. Konstantin is the husband of Olga Strunina and the son-in-law of well-known Mstera artist Lev Fomichev. Lev, who is one of the founders of Mstera art, has passed on his painting experience to his relatives, Olga and Konstantin. It's obvious that Konstantin's manner of painting is similar to Fomichev's recognizable style. But, beyond controversy, Konstantin is a talented artist, who has his own artistic touch and vision. They all live on the banks of the Klyazma River in a large wooden house. Lev makes his own tempera paints. Konstantin uses his father-in-law's paints for his own work.
The subject of the composition is "Tale of the Golden Cockerel", written by the great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. The left part of the composition depicts Tsar Dadon who sends his army to protect his kingdom from the enemy that threatens his kingdom. In the left bottom corner, the artist depicts a jester who always turns out to be the wisest hero of almost every fairy-tale. The right part of the composition depicts the Shamakha Queen, sitting inside her eastern tent. Below the tent we can see the battle of Dadon's sons, each of them wants to possess the beautiful Shamakha Queen.
The artistry here is captivating. The details are fascinating. The presentation is beautiful. The palette is very similar to palettes used by Fomichov. The colors are bold and hold a distinct richness that reveals their handcrafted quality. Gold is used throughout the composition to highlight architecture, landscape, clothes, chain armour, helmets, swords and a lot of other different elements. The layout of this composition is practical but in the first place highly artistic. Strunin has integrated story, landscape, architecture, and decoration into the scene in such a way as to captivate and mesmerize.
The decorative elements of this piece take the term impressive to another level. The composition is framed with gold beading, highlighted with red and olive tempera paints. The chain of twisted leaves, with large blossoms in the corners, encompass the lid's composition. This entire assembly of advanced vegetation is made entirely out of gold paint placed against a dark olive green background. In the left, upper part of this fascinating pattern there is a cockerel painted in gold. The sides of the box are decorated with beautiful gold, curling, floral designs, highlighted with dark olive, bright green and red tempera paints. This floral pattern is placed between two parallel threads of gold beading. It is an amazing fact that all of this artistry was composed by hand. A hand that is an extension of a powerfully creative mind.
The box is constructed out of paper-mache. Black lacquer covers the exterior and red lacquer covers the interior of the box. The box has a hinge above the composition and rests on a flat bottom. Upon completing the work on this piece the artist writes, on the bottom of the box, the title, Mstera, his personalized signature, and the year (2003). This inscriptions painted in gold are inserted into an dark olive frame, highlighted with gold and bright green paints and adorned with flowers.