Show all images on one page	#004222 Title: The Nutcracker Artist: Gurileovs Sergey and Marie Size: 12.5x10x3 Size (inches): 5x4x1.25 Price : $1695 SOLD!

This entrancing elegance was created by well known Palekh husband and wife team Sergey and Maria Gurilyev. Their works, which they paint together, are as easy to recognize as their talents are easy to fall in love with. Here, an extremely precise sketch was filled with a gorgeous assortment of colors. A piece like this exudes the brilliance of the artists and so much more...
This is a glorious depiction of a story told throughout many a generation, "The Nutcracker." E.T.A Hoffman, the author of "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King," never intended the story to be for children, as his words portrayed a harshness of humanity and relationships. Published in 1816, Hoffman's tale would undergo revision by Alexander Dumas, eliminating much of the bitterness to adapt the tale as a children's story. The new version was read with interest by Marius Petipas, the senior ballet master of the Russian Imperial Ballet, who hired Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky to compose a score for a full length "Nutcracker" production. The story would later be simplified (but with the music left intact) and was created as a holiday tale that has lasted generations.
As customary with Palekh tradition, the black lacquer exterior also acts as the background for the scene. This creates a spectacular glow for the bright gold and aluminum contours. The precision used to craft those contours is a key indicator as to the Gurilyevs' brilliance. The characters' clothes beam with ornamental designs that truly bring the costumes to life. Poetic.
The box is made out of paper-mache. Black lacquer covers the exterior and red lacquer covers the interior of the box. The exterior is decorated with intricate gold ornaments accented with aluminum. The lid is hinged from the top of the scene, and the box rests on a flat bottom. The work is signed with the names of the artists, Palekh, and the year of 2005.
This box is represented in the latest Pirogova's Book(2006)on the page 89.