Show all images on one page	#002008 Title: Nutcracker Artist: Strunina Olga Size: 16x10x3 Size (inches): 6.25x4x1.25 Price : $550 SOLD!

This elegant box has been created by the talented artist Olga Strunina from the village of Mstera. Olga is a daughter of renowned Mstera artist Lev Fomichev, and that is why one can see the influence of his technique and soft color palette in her works. Following in her father's footsteps, Strunina has used home-made pigments obtained from stones gathered from streams around Mstera. This method was used by old Russian masters, and has been passed down from father to daughter.
The box displays a scene from "The Nutcracker", a Christmas fairy-tale written by E.T.A Hoffman. The story tells about adventures of a little girl during the Christmas night. All her toys became alive and started speak like people. Her favorite toy, the Nutcracker, became her suitor and defender from the Mouse King. Here we can see the Nutcracker making a declaration of love to the girl.
The box's exterior is decorated with beautiful patterns.
The box is constructed out of paper-mache. Black lacquer is used to paint the exterior and red lacquer is used to paint the interior of the box. The work is signed by the artist.