Pushkin

The lid of this lovely miniature box is decorated with a portrait of Alexander Pushkin composing his magical poems. Each of the remaining eight facets of the box carries an image from one of these tales. Prince Guidon is looking at the approaching sailing ship bringing him his father, Tsar Saltan: Through his spyglass, Prince Guidon sees the royal fleet sail on; While on deck, his father stands, spyglass also in his hands. The victorious Prince Oleg of Kiev (The Song of Prince Oleg’s Prophecy) is approaching the sorcerer to inquire about his fate: “What will happen to me? How will my life end?” Ruslan is fighting evil Chernomor, trying to slice off his beard and thus defeat him (Ruslan and Lyudmila); the handyman Balda is trying to make the devil pay taxes (The Tale of the Priest and his Handyman Balda), while the beautiful princess is waking up in her crystal casket to greet her fiancée Prince Elisei (the Tale of the Dead Princess). The style of this modern Palekh box is closer to that of easel paining than traditional Palekh miniatures.