Show all images on one page	#007421 Title: August. The Apple Saviour Day Artist: Bogachova Nina Size: 20.5x16x4 Size (inches): 8x6.25x1.5 Price : $1650 SOLD!

This festive Palekh box has been painted by the experienced painter, Nina Bogacheova. She was born in 1941 in the village of Ilinskaya in Ivanovo region, 350 kilometers northeast of Moscow. She currently resides in Palekh, as a well-established Palekh artist.
The box is painted on the religious theme, and shows the celebration of the Apple Saviour Day that is one of the main Orthodox holidays in Russia. There are three feast days of the Saviour in August in Russia - honey, apple and nut. Each of them corresponds to this or that religious feast, and they received their names according to the dainties allowed to be tried that day as it was prescribed by the Orthodox tradition. Especially popular is the second Saviour day which is one of the great 12 feast days in the Orthodox calendar - the feast of the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ called the Apple Day of the Saviour. This day ripened apples were brought to the church to be blessed and only after that people could eat them. After the apples brought to the church had been blessed, the special services were held in the orchards, and harvesting of apples began. And then everybody rushed to the fair to sell apples in time. And not only the fair but also festivities marked the day. Very often tables were laid in front of the churches and the festive meal was finished with the merry-making in which all people participated.
The scene is painted in bright red and orange tempera paints with addition of greens and blues. The details are enhanced tremendously by the golden contours illuminating each and every inch of the moment composed.
At the top of the composition we can see the following phrase written in gold: "fruits are blessed" while at the bottom of the composition the artist has painted her name, Palekh, the year of 2009 and the title ("The Apple Saviour Day. August"). The edges of the lid are decorated with gold beads while the box's sides are adorned with complex gold leafy patterns.
The box is constructed from paper-mache. The exterior of the box is painted with black lacquer while the interior is completed with dark red lacquer. A hinge is fastened to the top of the composition and the box rests on a flat bottom.