Christmas

This masterfully painted box was composed by a talented Yuriy Pozhidayev from the village of Palekh. His pieces have a unique elegance about them that captures the medieval essence of the tales he frequently uses as subject matter. Color and ornamentation work wonders when applied by an experienced hand. This piece is a great example of that!
The palette contains very bold and vivacious colors. The predominance is given to reds and greens. Gold paint is used to detail the composition throughout.
Tiny gold beads are used to frame the composition. The side decoration is a little involved. Golden filigree is supplemented with flowers painted with aluminum paint. These designs are found on all four sides.
The box is made out of paper-mache. Black lacquer covers the exterior and red lacquer covers the interior of the box. The lid is hinged at the left, and the box rests on four legs. Signed and dated (1999) by the artist.