There are many fakes that look painted, but are not. Because the boxes are papier mache, they are much more durable than wood, but they may be slightly irregular because they have been shaped and compressed, not carved. What you are paying for is the painting on the surface. The most common painted scenes are folk tales and legends. War scenes, historical events and religious themes can also be found.
Most boxes are folkloric.
The more distinctive the scene, the more unusual it is and the price will reflect this. What determines price the most, however, is how detailed, how truly fine the work is. This is where knowing the artist and the particular school is crucial. We buy all of our lacquer boxes from the artists directly or from the artists' agents, in Russia. Fedoskino Fedoskino boxes are the most expensive, most collectible Russian lacquer boxes.