Scarlet Flower

This small Palekh box has been drawn by Nina Bogachova whose favorite themes to depict are folklore and genre scenes. Collectors love her work for its mood, and for its dynamic and flexible appearance.
The box shows a scene from the Russian fairy-tale “The Scarlet Flower”. In the background the artist has painted the merchant's daughter mourning over the dying monster while in the foreground we can see the moment when the monster, transformed into a handsome prince, offers the merchant's daughter to marry him. The scene is masterfully detailed with gold paint.
The box is constructed out of paper-mache. Black lacquer covers the exterior and red lacquer covers the interior of the box. The scene is framed with gold beads while the box's sides are adorned with gold leafy patterns. The lid is hinged from the top of the scene and the box rests on a flat bottom. The work is signed with the artist's name, the title, Palekh, and the year of 2007.