Show all images on one page	#003312 Title: Golden Pot Artist: Zhiryakov Alexey Size: 15x15x15 Size (inches): 6x6x6 Price : $2650 SOLD!

This gorgeous box is a fresh artistic original of the outstanding Palekh painter Alexey Zhiryakov. Alexey comes from the famous family of Palekh artist. His father, Yugeniy Zhiryakov, and mother, Galina Zhiryakova were the leading Palekh artists during the Soviet Union epoch. They still work, and impart their painting experience to a new generation of artists. His brother, Andrey, is also a very talented artist.
The work is based on E.T.A. Hoffmann's novella "The Golden Pot" that was first published in 1814. Hoffmann regarded it as his best story, and there is wide agreement among literary scholars that it is a masterpiece of romantic literature. The novella tells about adventures of the student Anselmus. In the beginning of the story Anselmus finds a new job, and starts copying old manuscripts for Archivist Lindhorst, an eccentric alchemist and magician. To his great surprise he finds out that the charming green-gold snake with marvelous blue eyes whom he has met while sitting under the elder-berry tree on the banks of the River Elbe, was Archivist Lindhorst's daughter, Serpentina. Anselmus falls in love with her. The more he works in Archivist Lindhorst's house, the more familiar he becomes with the mystery of his family. It turns out that Archivist Lindhorst is a salamander in reality, the Elemental Spirit of Fire, who has been banished from the Land of Atlantis by Phosphorus, the Prince of Spirits, and must enter mankind's prosaic existence on earth. To compensate for his offences and to be allowed to return to Atlantis, the Salamander must find loving "childlike and poetic" mates for his three daughters. The Salamander owns three radiant golden pots, given to him by the Elemental Spirit of the Earth, which are to be his daughters' dowries. Serpentina assures Anselmus that her dowry will ensure their happiness together. In the middle of the story the evil forces try to separate Anselmus from Serpentina. The old witch (in the guise of a friendly old woman) offers the young girl, Veronika, who loves Anselmus to bewitch Anselmus to her. Under the influence of magic powers Anselmus starts to think that Serpentina and the story of the Salamander are merely products of his imagination, and he falls in love with Veronika. As he subsequently attempts to copy another of Lindhorst's manuscripts, it appears alien to him, and he accidentally splashes it with ink. As punishment, the enraged Archivist imprisons him in a crystal bottle on a shelf in his library. A short time later, a witch appears and attempts to steal the golden pot that is Serpentina's dowry. Archivist Lindhorst enters with his parrot, and they fiercely battle the witch and her black cat. Lindhorst and the parrot are victorious, and the vanquished witch is transformed into a beet. The Archivist realizes that Anselmus had been under the influence of a “hostile principle”, forgives him, and frees from the bottle. In the end of the story Anselmus marries Serpentina and they live happily in the country estate of the Salamander in Atlantis. The Salamander himself, however, must wait until his other two daughters are "off his hands" before he can return to this Kingdom of Marvels.
The box is constructed from paper-mache, and interestingly designed. One of its corners is cut off, and the box rests on this cut off corner. The lid, the left and the rear sides of the box feature various scenes from the novella whereas on the rest sides the green snake is depicted. The box's exterior is adorned with gorgeous patterns painted in gold, silver and tempera paints. Gold and silver paints can be also found detailing the depicted scenes. The lid is hinged. The work is signed with the artist's name, Palekh, and the year of 2007.