"In the Country" Russian lacquer box

Artist: Karatanova 
Village: Fedoskino style
Size: 4.25" x 2.25" x 2"  
Year: c. 2000

This Russian lacquer box features a beautifully detailed hand-painted winter scene. It depicts two traditional wooden dachas (country cottages) nestled in a snowy village landscape. The thatched roofs are thickly covered with snow, and a pair of haystacks sit enclosed within a wooden fence. Majestic pine trees rise behind the cottages, their branches heavy with snow, while bare trees and a golden mother-of-pearl twilight sky with flying birds add a sense of stillness and serenity to the scene. The rich, dark border is adorned with delicate gold scrollwork, typical of classic Russian lacquer art.  The box sits on four small legs.