Show all images on one page	#008677 Title: Tale of Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf Artist: Zhiryakov Alexey Size: 38x18x11.5 Size (inches): 12.75x10.5x5 Price : $6250 SOLD!

This box is consist of three compartments with three lids and a drawer on the front side.Well-known Palekh Master Alexey Zhiryakov has painted this masterpiece.
The amazing detail shown in the painting is a good example of how steady this artist's hand is. His ability to paint with extraordinary precision and fine detail, and his talent at painting intricate gold decorations is highly respected in Palekh and revered throughout the World.
The box features several scenes from the Russian folk tale "Ivan Tsarevich and the Grey Wolf".
The tale tells about the adventures of the Prince Ivan Tsarevich and his friend, 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 the firebird, to get the horse with the golden mane, and to get the beautiful princess.
In the begging of the story Ivan Tsarevich trying to catch the Fire Bird. This bird has been filching golden apples from the orchard of Ivan's father; and the old Tsar has ordered his three sons to catch the thief. The Fire Bird breaks loose from Ivan's hands, leaving its burning feather in his hands, and flies away. But now Ivan is ready to respond his father who is the thief. And this you can see on the left lid.
The central lid depicts the scene where Ivan Tsarevich stealing the horse with the golden mane from Tsar Kusman's stable. He does it by the following reason: while he has been trying to steal the Fire Bird from Tsar Afron's palace, the tsar's guards caught him. Tsar Afron promised to release Ivan if he would manage to procure him the horse with the golden mane. Ivan Tsarevich failed to steal the horse, and Tsar Kusman's guards caught him. Now it was Tsar Kusman's turn to oblige Ivan with a new task; this time Ivan was ordered to steal the princess, Elena the Beautiful.
As Ivan Tsarevich failed in fulfilling two previous tasks, the Grey Wolf decided to steal the princess by himself. The Grey Wolf steals Elena the Beautiful from Tsar Dalmat's palace, while Ivan Tsarevich sleeps peacefully. The entire surface of the box is filled with wondrous detail. Zhiryakov's steady hand is able to create minute elements that are at first invisible because they blend so well with the overall scene. Close inspection must be given this piece in order to appreciate all of its complexity.
The sides of this large box are also painted! On the front side we can Ivan riding a horse, then he is riding a Wolf.On the left side of the box we can see Ivan talking to the Wolf, we can imagine that they discussed a bad situation when the wolf ate Ivan's horse ;).
On the back side we can see Ivan with princess Elena the beautiful are trying to escape from the Tsar's riders. And on the right side, the Wolf is bringing Ivan from a death with the aid of the Magic Water.
The artist uses here a palette that is characteristic of his work. Gold paint is used to fill the scene with various details. The use of gold helps to enhance the already bold palette and bring a rich ambiance to the scene.
Zhiryakov's precision and ability to paint minute decoration is demonstrated in the filigree that frames all the three lids and the filigree that wraps around the sides of the box. It is the perfect complement to the intricacy found in the painting!
The box is constructed out of paper-mache. Black lacquer is used to paint the exterior and red lacquer is used to paint the interior of the box. The box has a hinge located above the three compositions on three lids and rests on four feet. The artist wrote Palekh, 2018, and his name under the composition on the right lid.