Show all images on one page	#004461 Title: Tale of Snowmaiden Artist: Populovs Yevgeniy and Marina Size: 9x6.5x7 Size (inches): 3.5x2.5x2.75 Price : $750 SOLD!

This beautiful box was created by the talented husband and wife duo of Yevgeniy and Marina Populov from the village of Palekh. It is amazing, the amount of action and accuracy that fits within such a small surface area. Everything is very well organized. There are multiple areas to focus upon, and still the drama is easy to decipher. This is all thanks to the expertise of the Populovs.
This scene features the ending of, "Snegurochka," or "The Snowmaiden." Snegurochka is dancing, waving her kerchief, while the merciless god Yarilo is throwing his rays on her. The puff of dust under her feet and the veil fluttering in the wind create the sensation of movement. Next to the Snowmaiden, Mizgir makes a declaration of love to her. To the left Lel and other villagers are depicted. Lel plays his flute, while the girls float wreaths down the river. This is a sort of ancient Russian fortune telling. These wreaths will indicate the girls' husbands. A lad who picks a wreath is considered to be a husband of one of them. To the right the powerful tsar stretches forth his hand, pointing at the Snowmaiden as he's noticed that she begins to melt. Nobody else notice this tragic moment. The musicians blow their horns. All people look merry and happy.
Classic Palekh training, combined with a keen individual talents, makes this composition a pleasure to behold. Dynamic and emotive, the scene is carefully balanced and smartly detailed. Gold and aluminum paint make up the fine details and highlights within every element of the scene. The the inclusion of blue water in the background, all the major colors of the rainbow are represented, giving a great variance to the painting.
This paper-mache box is elegantly designed and has the slopping lid. Black lacquer is used to paint the exterior of the work while red lacquer completes the interior of the piece. As customary with Palekh tradition, the black lacquer exterior also acts like the background for the scene. This feature brings added life to the forest surroundings, making them a natural stage for the drama at hand. A hinge has been fastened above the composition to be used for ease of opening. The lid's artistry has been framed with a string of golden beads. All four sides have been decorated with a golden filigree pattern that glows radiantly. Crisp aluminum wild flowers accentuate this golden filigree. The box rests upon four feet. The artists wrote their last name and first initials and the village name of Palekh along the bottom of the composition in gold paint.