The Hump Backed Little Horse

This interesting Kholui box is a creation of Olga Parushkina . It shows a scene from the Russian fairy-tale "The Hump Backed Little Horse". This tale is about the lad, Ivan, who happened to catch the firebird. Then he was obliged by the tsar to fulfill different tasks. Ivan's friend, the Hump Backed Little Horse, always helped him. Here we can see Ivan holding a feather of the Firebird in his hands and looking with admiration at it.
The scene is painted in bright tempera paints against the black lacquered background that helps to intensify the colors and create a sensation of a nighttime. 
The box is made out of paper-mache. Black lacquer covers the exterior and red lacquer covers the interior of the box. The exterior is decorated with rich and very beautiful gold ornament. The lid isn't hinged , and the box rests on four round legs. The work is signed with the artist's name, Kholui and the title.