Snowmaiden

This box was painted by the talented Palekh artist Ludmila Gelisheva. It shows a scene from the popular Russian fairy-tale "The Snowmaiden". In the center and to the left of the composition the artist depicts the Snowmaiden, to the left- kids are playing in the snow...
The work is a good example of intricate Palekh art. The greens and blues are domintaed here. Hair thin gold and silver accents have been used extensively throughout the composition adding rich luminescence and delicacy to the piece. The Snowmaiden's figure is painted to look transparent to remind the fact that she is the daughter of nature.
The box's exterior is decorated with intricate gold leafy patterns.
The box is constructed from paper-mache. Black lacquer is used to paint the exterior of the piece while red lacquer completes the interior of the work. The lid is hinged from the top, and the box rests on four legs. The artist wrote her name, the year of 2013 and the village name of Palekh along the bottom of the composition in gold paint.