Lacquered Box From Palekh – Vadim Borisovich Parilov – 1981

Lacquered box from Palekh – Vadim Borisovich Parilov – 1981 – “The Dead Princess and the Seven Heroes,” based on Pushkin

A beautiful rectangular lacquered papier-mâché box, made in Palekh, USSR, in 1981, adorned with a large polychrome miniature accented with gold.

The lid features a particularly delicate and lively composition inspired by Alexander Pushkin’s famous fairy tale, “The Dead Princess and the Seven Heroes” (Сказка о мёртвой царевне и о семи богатырях).

Against a black background characteristic of the Palekh school, a rich narrative scene unfolds: horsemen on white horses, figures in traditional costumes, fantastical architectural forms, stylized mountains, and vegetation delicately accented with gold. At the edges of the composition, various scenes from the tale are depicted within vividly colored architectural settings.

The great finesse of the craftsmanship is particularly evident in the rendering of the faces, horses, and costumes, as well as in the numerous details outlined in gold. The lid and base are accented with an elegant gilded floral frieze.

The miniature is signed “В. Парилов” (V. Parilov), dated 1981, with the notation “Палех” (Palekh) and the number 910. The reverse also bears the notation “Made in USSR.”

The work is attributable to Vadim Borisovich Parilov (Вадим Борисович Парилов), born in 1951 in Palekh, a miniature painter from a prominent dynasty of Palekh artists and icon painters. After training at the Palekh Art School from 1973 to 1978, he worked from 1978 to 1989 at the Palekh Art Production Workshops. Works by Vadim Parilov are housed in the Palekh State Art Museum.

The Parilov family has been closely linked to the history of Palekh miniature painting for several generations. His father, Boris Nikolaevich Parilov (1922–1985), and his grandfather, Nikolai Mikhailovich Parilov (1891–1962), were also Palekh painters; the latter notably served as a professor at the Palekh Art School and was one of the recognized representatives of this tradition.

The simultaneous presence of the workshop number, the word “Palekh,” the artist’s signature, and the date corresponds to the traditional marking system for authentic Palekh miniatures. The phrase “Made in USSR” was also used on pieces intended primarily for export during the Soviet period.

The box also retains its original Soviet label from the Palekh Workshops, which specifies the subject and the artist—an important detail regarding its authenticity and provenance.

Dimensions:
Length: 16.5 cm
Depth: 10.2 cm
Height: 4.2 cm

Palekh, USSR, 1981.
Signed V. Parilov and numbered 910.