A RUSSIAN LACQUER KEEPSAKE BOX, I. A. PERSHIN, PALEKH, 1939
of rectangular shape; the hinged cover depicting Tsar and Tsarevna at the gates of a big city with castles and towers, while a full-dressed Vityaz approaches on horseback from the other side of a moat, bringing a message from the faraway lands; an ornate gilded border frames the scene and runs around the black base of the box; red-lacquered interior; length: 26.5 cm (10 1/2 in.), signed, dated and inscribed s. Palekh lower right, numbered No 2716 lower left

LOT NOTES:
Painted by Ivan Alexandrovich Pershin (1889-1972), a hereditary icon painter who spent his entire life in Palekh. Pershin became a member of the Palekh Artel of Ancient Painting in 1931. The main subjects of his works were genre scenes and literature illustrations. Pershin's lacquer miniatures are included in the collections of several Russian museums.