Emelya and the Magic Pike

This five-sided casket shows several episodes from the popular Russian fairy-tale "By the Pike's Will" or "Emelya and the Magic Pike".
In short, this tale is about a young man who finds a special fish when he goes to get water from the river. In return for releasing her, the Magic Pike offers to fulfill Emelia's wishes. Being a lazy fellow, Emelya light-heartedly uses magic forces, asking the pike to help him to perform his chores while he relaxes. He orders his water-pails to go home by itself, which they do, much to the surprise of his sisters-in-law. Then he orders the sledge to go by itself to the nearest forest where his ax falls wood for the fire. Afterwards he gets to the tsar's palace, riding a stove. In the palace he meets the tsar's daughter and falls in love with her.
The Tsar is infuriated with Emelya's luck and power. He has also received numerous complaints from the kingdom's residents and the soldiers to the left are about to take Emelya away. However, when the Tsar's daughter steps in and falls in love with Emelya, the Tsar decides to spare him and let them marry, but after the wedding he puts them in a barrel, seals it, and throws it out to sea. Emelya uses his power to free himself and his wife. As they approach the palace Emelya requests that a palace be built opposite the Tsar's, and it happens. The couple, after receiving forgiveness and blessings from the Tsar, live the rest of their days without a care in the world, all because of the magic pike..
The scene from the lid of the casket shows key episode from this tale: Emelya sits on the stove that goes by itself straight to the Tsar's palace where he will meet the Tsar's daughter, his future wife.
The sides shows the water buckets that walking by themselves home with water, the sledge is running with no horses...
The box was painted by a family duet-Olga and Sergey Terentievs, prominent artists in Palekh.
Egg-tempera paint is the main medium used to paint this composition. The palette is based in greens and reds that make complementary combinations throughout the scenes.
The casket is made out of paper-mache. Black lacquer covers the exterior and red lacquer covers the interior of the casket.
Gold and silver ornament frames the composition on a lid, the scenes on the sides of the casket are framed with a simplet golden dot ornament. The box has a hinge and rests on four legs. The work is signed the artists names at the bottom of the lid's composition.