Show all images on one page	#007269 Title: Russian Fairy-Tales Artist: Tsyganova Olga Size: 17.5x17.5x23 Size (inches): 6.75x6.75x9 Price : $5250 SOLD!

This large, impressive casket has been created by Olga Tsyganova from the village of Palekh. Tsyganova is one of the leading Palekh artist and her boxes were mentioned in sevral books of Russian Lacquer miniature.
The box's lid and all its four sides show the scenes from different Russian folk fairy-tales!

On the top we can see the Flying ship with Seven Semeons.
This tale tells about seven orphans who were adopted by the kind Tsar. Each of them promised the Tsar to master a separate skill. The first Semeon wanted to be a smith and promised to erect a pillar so tall that it would almost touch the sky. The second Semeon said that he would climb that pillar to keep watch on what is happening in the surrounding kingdoms. The third Semeon promised to become a ship builder. The fourth Semeon said that he would be the captain of that ship. The fifth Semeon said that he would be able to take that ship to the bottom of the ocean. The sixth Semeon said that he would be able to bring that ship up from the bottom of the ocean. And to the Tsar's surprise, the seventh Semeon answered that he wanted to be a thief. The Tsar was not pleased by his answer and warned him that he put thieves in his kingdom to death.
The years passed and the seven Semeons had become grown men. One day the Tsar gathered them to see what they had learned. Each of them demonstrated the tsar his skills. Most of all the tsar liked skills of the second Semeon who could climb the high pillar and told that he saw Elena the Fair in the neighboring kingdom, and most of he disliked skills of the seventh Semeon as he indeed became a thief. The tsar was about to hung the seventh brother, but changed his mind when the thief promised to steal Elena the Fair with the help of this brothers.
Owing to their skills the brothers could successfully steal Elena the Fair and returned to their kingdom. Later the tsar and Elena fell in love with each other, while the seven Semeons married Elena's maids.

On the front we can see several episodes from Frog Princess tale.
A powerful Tsar noticed that it was time for his three sons to be wed. He summoned them all at once and told them to each fire a single arrow into the air. The closest maiden to each fallen arrow would become that son's wife. Ivan and his two brothers shoot arrows into the air to find their future brides. A frog catches Ivan's arrow and this is who he is obligated to marry.
Ivan Tsarevich has found and burn the frog skin of his wife, Vasilisa the Wise (his arrow fell in the swamp near the frog, and he had to marry this frog but later it turned out that the frog was the animal form of the beautiful bewitched girl). In the center of the composition Vasilisa the Wise creates a miniature lake full of white swans with just one nonchalant wave of her hand while dancing before the tsar. In the right upper corner Ivan Tsarevich consults with Baba-Yaga trying to find out where he can find his wife, Vasilisa the Wise. This scene is very interesting painted. Baba-Yaga's hut on chicken feet differs from standard huts on chicken feet usually painted by various artists. More over near Baba-Yaga the artist has depicted her pygmy domestic dragon that replaces a cat or a dog. In the right bottom corner Ivan Tsarevich speaks with birds that later will help him to kill Koshchey who imprisoned Vasilisa the Wise. Just above this scene there is Koshchey's palace with imprisoned Vasilisa sitting inside. Nearby the artist has depicted also rather originally painted Koshchey in his animal form. In the right upper corner Ivan Tsarevich and Vasilisa the Wise return to their native kingdom.

To the left -tale of Sivka-Burka.
It tells about the adventures of the youngest of three brothers, Ivan the Simpleton. For his courage and easy temper, his father presented him the magic horse, Sivka-Burka that was ready to serve Ivan. With the help of Sivka-Burka's magic powers, Ivan managed to jump to the highest tower in the king's palace, where the king's daughter was standing, and take the ring she was holding. This made him the victor in a contest, and for performing this feat he was allowed to marry the tsar's daughter.

On the back side-Scarlet Flower.
The popular Russian fairy-tale "The Scarlet Flower". The tale is very similar to what we know today as "Beauty and the Beast." This thrilling tale tells about love of a beautiful girl and a horrible beast that afterwards will turn into a handsome prince.

And the last one-tale of a Firebird.
The tale tells about the adventures of the Prince Ivan Tsarevich and his companion the Grey Wolf, a magician. The Wolf ate the horse of Ivan Tsarevich and to redress a wrong, he helped Ivan in several quests: to get a Firebird, to get a horse with a golden mane, and to get a beautiful princess.

Each scene is elaborately painted in tempera paints and detailed with gold metal paint. Gold and silver paint is also used to decorate the box's exterior with nice floral patterns.
The box is constructed from paper-mache. Black lacquer is used to paint the exterior of the piece while red lacquer completes the interior of the work. The upper part is not hinged and the base rests on four legs. The work is signed by the artist, dated(2013) and written Palekh at the bottom of the painting on the top.