Vintage Russian Hand Painted Lacquer Box 1996 Folk Art Couple Large Round Box

Vintage Russian Hand-Painted Lacquered Decorative Box – Folk Art Couple – Dated 1996

A beautiful and unusually large vintage Russian decorative box featuring a wonderfully colourful folk-art scene of a courting couple seated together, the gentleman playing an accordion.

The decoration is particularly attractive, with finely painted figures surrounded by flowers and foliage against a deep black ground. Delicate gold detailing has been used throughout the composition, including the clothing and accordion, while a continuous hand-painted gold scrolling border decorates both the lid and the sides of the box.

The artwork is marked “96”, indicating a date of 1996, together with a small Cyrillic notation beneath.

Unlike the traditional Russian papier-mâché lacquer boxes, this example appears to have a lightweight non-ferrous metal body, possibly aluminium. It is non-magnetic and has the cool feel and light weight associated with metal construction. As the exact metal has not been tested, it is described simply as a lacquered non-ferrous metal box.

The interior is finished in the traditional rich red colour, contrasting beautifully with the glossy black exterior.

A particularly decorative example of late 20th-century Russian folk art and an appealing piece for a collection of Russian lacquerware, folk art or unusual decorative boxes.

Approximate dimensions:
Diameter: 13 cm / 5.1 inches
Height: 6 cm / 2.4 inches
Weight: 184 g

Condition:
Very good vintage condition overall with light surface wear and minor marks consistent with age and previous handling. The painted decoration remains bright and attractive. Please study all photographs carefully as they form an important part of the description.

Please note:
The box has not been attributed to one of the traditional Russian lacquer miniature centres such as Palekh, Kholuy, Mstyora or Fedoskino, and no such attribution is being made.