Show all images on one page	#001094 Title: Snowmaiden Artist: Suloeva N. Size: 8x8x4.5 Price : $380 SOLD!

This marvelous box was painted by the talented Palekh artist Nina Suloeva. The composition shows a scene from the popular Russian fairy-tale "The Snowmaiden" or "Snegurochka". The artist depicts here a moment of the story when the Snowmaiden parts with her parents. She isn't a human being. Her father is Old Man Winter and her mother is Fair Spring. Her parents have to let her go because they must keep the seasons of the year in order, and there is no one in the spirit world to take care of her. Her mother gives her a wreath and her father squeezes her hand tight. In the upper part of the composition the merciless Sun-god Yarilo is depicted. He declared that the girl would be safe only if she didn't fall in love; otherwise she would die. As the girl was very beautiful, was it was inevitable that in the end she felt the warmth in her heart and fell in love.
The work is a good example of intricate Palekh art. The Palekh tradition of the black lacquer exterior acting as the background for the scene works wonders for the palette and the decoration. The greens and blues become electric, the reds, pinks and oranges passionate, the gold alive and the flowers bloom with a natural happiness among them. Hair thin gold colored accents have been used extensively throughout the scene, defining each veined leaf and vibrant petal, as well as the clothing of the characters, adding rich luminescence and delicacy to the piece. The precision and integrity of Suloeva's work demonstrates her astounding mastery. Each figure is painted with realistic dimension and character, giving them voice within the composition. The entire scene is a precious jewel of detail and decoration!
The composition is framed with intricate gold swirling patterns. The sides of the box are adorned with the spectacular swirling leaf fronds resembling the delicate and ornate patterns of a peacock feather. Suloeva uses aluminum to create silver metallic petals and flowers to add additional beauty to this wonderful golden ornamentation. A little lower this rich ornamentation runs the elegant pattern painted in gold and aluminum. The box is constructed from papier-mache. Black lacquer is used to paint the exterior of the box while red lacquer completes the interior. The lid isn't hinged and the box sits on a small platform. The box is signed with the artist's name, village and year (2002).