An unusual Russian lacquer box painted after Mihaly Zichy's illustration of Mikhail Lermontov's poem Demon, Lukutin Manufactory, circa 1888-1902. Of oval form with stepped footed base and fitted lid, the exterior lacquered an unusual shade of wine red, the slip-on lid finely painted after an illustration of Mikhail Lermontov's poem Demon by Hungarian painter Mihaly Zichy (1827-1906), a favorite painter of Emperor Alexander II who named him a Court Artist. The interior of the lid with three gilt Imperial eagles, symbols of the Imperial warrant, and the Cyrillic inscription Manufactory of N. Lukutin. 1306-029. Dimensions: 2 1/2" h x 4 1/2 w x 3" d x (6.3 x 11.4 x 7.6 cm).Mihaly Zichy (1827-1906), a favorite painter of Emperor Alexander II who named him a Court Artist, depicts the moment in Lermontov's poem in which Tamara succumbs to temptation, embracing the demon who has pursued her. His kiss proves fatal. Lermontov (1814-1841) completed multiple versions of his poem between 1829 and 1839; the final version was published in 1842, only after his death. The poem inspired many important 19th-century Russian artists, or artists working in Russia. One of Mikhail Vrubel's greatest masterpieces, Demon Seated (1890, Tretyakov Gallery), was part of a larger cycle dedicated to the work. Konstantin Makovsky (1839-1915), one of the most popular artists of Late Imperial Russia, also illustrated a number of the poem's most important passages. Many of these images were produced for or inspired by luxury jubilee editions of the poem printed in 1891; this box most likely dates to the early 1890s. A chromolithograph of this illustration is held by the Palace-Museum at Peterhof. See Gosudarstvennyi muzei-zapovednik Petergof, Novye postupleniia 2000-2002, Peterburg-Petergof: Abris, 2002, no. 90, p. 59. 1306-029

Overall very good condition.