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Fortune Telling on the Eve of the Holy Theophany (Baptism of Christ)

Fortune Telling on the Eve of the Holy Theophany (Baptism of Christ)

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O. Terentyeva

There is an ancient Russian tradition of fortune telling on the eve of Baptism (19 January) when young unmarried girls try to find out if they will get married in the coming year, and who will ask for their hand in marriage. This box represents various popular ways of finding out one’s fortune on this day. One of these traditions is to throw a shoe over the fence and see who will pick it up. Another is reading one’s fortune with the help of candles and a mirror. The images on the box are both playful and serious, skillfully conveying a mixture of excitement and apprehension felt by the young girls.
Artist
O. Terentyeva
(Russian)
Title
Fortune Telling on the Eve of the Holy Theophany (Baptism of Christ)
Date
1997
Medium
Papier-mâché, paint, and lacquer
Dimensions
1 5/16 x 1 x 1 5/16 in. Overall
Credit
From the Collection gifted by Frederick C. Seibold, Jr.
Accession No.
2008.44.35
Geography
Russia

Related

  • Chazen Museum of Art. "Russian Lacquer Boxes: A Narrative Tradition." Madison: Chazen Museum of Art, 2006. p. 14, no. 47

  • Russian Lacquer Boxes: A Narrative Tradition: Chazen Museum of Art, 11/18/2006–1/14/2007

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