Sleeping Beauty Russian Lacquer Box

Vera Smirnova painted this exquisite box based on the classic fairy tale by Charles Perrault.  It shows Sleeping Beauty under the spell of an evil fairy, shown to the left of the bed. The good fairy, painted on the right, helps to save the princess with a spell of her own. And now only the menacing bats and the castle walls stand between the princess and the handsome prince.

Every inch of this box painted by Vera Smirnova is beautifully done and highly refined. The faces of all of the characters are soft with highly nuanced shading, extremely difficult to do on a small scale using egg tempera paints. The princess, the good fairy and the prince all have a warm look, giving you a sense of comfort, a feeling that all is well in the world. The evil fairy provides contrast as she eyes her rival with a look that gives you pause. Fine gold and silver lines which adorn virtually everything give the box a radiant and rich appearance. The composition is framed with a small gold ornament at the edges, and a larger, more intricate one on the sides. The box is made out of high quality papier mache and stands on four small legs. It has a hinge on the left. The interior is red. It has a very shiny and flawless lacquer finish throughout. Signed at the bottom of the composition with the artist's name, village and year of completion.