The Little Mermaid

This fascinating piece was created by the talented Marina Denisenko of Palekh. It shows the main characters of the tale "The Little Mermaid" written by Hans Christian Andersen. Here we can see the moment when the Little Mermaid meets the Prince and falls in love with him.
The palette is especially bright in this composition, which employs green, red, and blue paints. Gold and aluminum are used to define and detail most areas on the box. By using these precious metal paints, the artist is able to extract even more vibrance from her palette.
The scene is framed with the luxuriant pattern composed of red roses, white lilies, blue forget-me-nots, and green foliage; it is drawn in tempera paints and detailed with gold paint. The box's sides are adorned with the gold pattern composed of roses and leaves.
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 lid isn't hinged, and the box rests on a flat bottom. The work is signed with the artist's name, and the village of Palekh.