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Home > Gallery > Palekh > Over $500
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#002311
Title: Alice in the Wonderland
Artist: Ogir Dmitriy
Size: 10x8x10
Size (inches): 4x3.25x4
Price : $850 SOLD!
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Description: Dmitriy Ogir is the exceptional talent behind this enchanting piece of work. It shows several scenes from Lewis Carroll's (1832-1898) classic tales "Alice in Wonderland", and "Through the Looking Glass". Lewis Carroll is a favorite writer of D. Ogir, and that is why he very often depicts the characters of Carroll's literary works on his boxes.
The composition on the box's lid shows Alice and the White Rabbit. They stand near the tree that has a door leading right into the long hall where Alice found herself in the beginning of the story after falling down through the rabbit hole. There is the small door in this hall that can be opened with the tiny golden key. Behind this door there is a small passage, not much larger than a rat-hole that leads into the loveliest garden one has ever seen. Behind Alice's back there is a little three-legged table, all made of solid glass; there is nothing on it except a green bottle filled with magic liquid. A scrap of paper with the instruction "Drink Me!" is attached to this bottle. Alice is going to drink this liquid, as she wants to be smaller in size and penetrate into the wonderful garden. The home of the Hatter can be seen high atop the grassy hillside in the background. This scene is framed with gold wavy pattern. Another space of the lid is covered with brilliant gold paints, and also with original designs composed of different playing cards, roses and separate suits: spades, clubs, hearts and diamonds.
The front side of the box shows another scene from "Alice in Wonderland". Here we can see Alice, the March Hare, the Hatter, and the Dormouse having tea. The Hatter tells Alice that the Time has taken offence and stopped; and now it will be always 5 o'clock. It is the time of afternoon snack in England, when English men usually drink tea, and that is why the March Hare, the Hatter, and the Dormouse are always obliged to drink tea. Next to them there are the magic mushrooms that can change a human's size and the clock that always shows the same time. In the background there is the home of the Duchess.
Another sides feature the scenes from "Through the Looking Glass". Here we can see the scene of Alice's conversation with Humpty Dumpty who looks like an ordinary egg; Alice's meeting with the Lion and the Unicorn who eat the cake having finished their fight for the King's crown; and Alice speaking with the White Knight who saved her from the Red Knight's captivity.
Each of four side scenes are separated from each other with the pattern composed of different suits of playing cards: spades, clubs, hearts and diamonds, painted in white paints. The pattern composed of different suits of playing cards painted in black paints also decorate the corners of the box's bottom border covered with bright gold paints like the lid's slopping sides.
This work has many flavors. It is a sundae of artistic beauty that will never melt. The decorative elements of the presentation announce the artist's fascination with the tale along with his passion for the craft that depicts it. A true gem this is.
The box is constructed from paper-mache made. Black lacquer is used to paint the exterior of the piece while bright red lacquer is used to paint the interior of the piece. A hinge is fastened to the top of the composition to be used for ease of opening. The box rests on four legs. The work is titled, signed and dated (2005) on the lid's interior.
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