Nutcracker

This attractive, originally shaped piece of pure artistic enchantment was composed by talented Palekh artist Marina Denisenko. He she displays several scenes from "The Nutcracker", a Christmas fairy-tale written by E.T.A Hoffman. The story tells about adventures of a little girl during the Christmas night. All her toys became alive and started speak like people. Her favorite toy, the Nutcracker, became her suitor and defender from the Mouse King.
The box is constructed from paper-mache. Black lacquer is used to paint the exterior of the box while red lacquer completes the interior of the work. The exterior is decorated with a nice gold scrolling pattern. The lid is hinged, and the box rests on three legs. The work is signed with the artist's name, Palekh and the year of 2005.