The box is signed by the artist and comes with the Certificate of Authenticity.

Tale of Tzar Saltan is a beautiful poetic tale, in which Tzar Saltan by means of wicked intrigues was separated from his beloved wife and son, Prince Guidon, who were put into a barrel and thrown into the ocean.  The ocean brought the barrel onto a barren island. Prince Guidon, researching the island, saw a bird of prey who was trying to kill a swan. Guidon killed the bird and released the swan. The swan appeared to be a fairy princess, and she started to help Guidon, presenting him with various miracles: she created a large city with a palace, which was guarded by 33 warriors of the ocean; gave Guidon a miracle squirrel, which produced golden nuts; helped Guidon to secretly see his father, Tzar Saltan. As a result Guidon understood that his father was not guilty in the “death” of his wife and son. Then the Swan Princess agreed to marry Guidon and at last made Saltan come to the island and re-unite with his family.
The Russian composer N. Rimsky-Korsakov wrote an opera on the subject of Tzar Saltan.

Lacquer boxes from Palekh might well enjoy the highest world-wide acclaim. The lacquer art of Palekh has been called "a small miracle", a label particularly fitting since that the village specialized in icon-painting for centuries until the 1917 Russian revolution. To many collectors, Palekh boxes have the most elegant look to them. When you hold one in your hand, you know you are holding something truly special. Most often in Palekh works, innumerable fine lines of gold leaf, polished to a glow by a wolf's tooth, are applied to the ornamental border and drawing itself. A simple one-color background then provides a beautiful contrast to the gold leaf and scene itself. This background, usually black, also serves to take the observer into a new world where one's concept of time and space is left to the imagination.