Tale of Sleeping Beauty and the Seven Champions

This exceptional Palekh box was painted by the famous Palekh artist, Vladimir Vlezko.
Vladimir was born in 1944. During 1959-1964 he studied in the Palekh Art School. Themes of his works are folklore, literature and genre scenes. His works are kept in the State Museum of Palekh Art and in the Ivanovo Regional Art Museum. Vladimir Vlezko used to work as a teacher in Palekh Art school for many years. The painting is based on the popular story of, "The Sleeping Beauty." This story was originally put to pen by French writer Charles Perrault in 1696., but in Russia it is known after poetry of Alexander Pushkin.
The little long-awaited Princess was born in the kingdom. Her parents organized a sumptuous feast and invited seven young fairies. In those times fairies had a marvelous custom to endow their goddaughters with merits and virtues. When the feast was about to begin, the aged fairy appeared whom no one had thought to invite because people supposed her to be dead or bewitched. She declared that the princess would prick her hand with a spindle, and die of it. The King, the Queen, and all the guests were very afraid of this terrible gift. But at this moment one of the young fairies said: "Take comfort, your Majesties, your daughter won't not die. The princess will indeed prick her hand with a spindle. But instead of dying she will merely fall into a profound slumber that will last a hundred years. At the end of that time a king's son will come to awaken her." The prophecy came true. But not only the princess but the whole kingdom fell into a deep sleep.
Here artist Vlezko has painted some clue moments from this story including the aged, neglected fairy telling her dreadful prophecy over the cradle of the little princess; realization of this prophecy - the princess pricks her finger with the spindle and falls into a profound slumber together with all her kingdom; and the handsome prince who has come to the enchanted kingdom to destroy the evil spell and awake the princess by his sweet kiss.
The composition is framed with the original and nice pattern painted in gold. The ornamental pattern can be found wrapping around the box's sides, but in gold and silver paints.
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 from the top of the composition and the box rests flat. Signed with the name of the artist, the year of 2015 and the village of Palekh.