The city is set above and below two bodies of water. The rippled water juxtaposes the lack of movement in the trees and livens up the scene with movement. Gold paint is used to detail certain features in the architecture of the city namely the cupola and roofs of the buildings in the center of the painting and the sides of the homes in the foreground of the scene. Aluminum paint is used to paint the roofs of the buildings in the foreground and some of the architectural detail in the background. The box is constructed out of paper-mache made in the village of Kholuy.
Black lacquer is used to paint the exterior and red lacquer to paint the interior of the piece.
Gold filigree with aluminum highlights frames the scene and golden rolling grain filigree warps around the sides of the box. The box has a hinge to its left and rests on a flat bottom.