Show all images on one page	#004068 Title: From Scandinavia to Greece Artist: Molodkin Vladimir Size: 13.5x10.5x3.5 Size (inches): 5.25x4x1.25 Price : $675 SOLD!

This piece by Mstera master Vladimir Molodkin portrays one of the early portions of Russian history. Although scholars and historians are very split as to the exact origins of the early Russian peoples, the influence of the Norse Vikings is undeniable. "From Varyag to Greece" depicts how the seafaring Rus people from Scandinavia sailed down by river through Europe to Greece. Where the rivers ended, these hearty warriors carried their vessels over land to the next body of water.
One of the theories of Russian civilization is that these people, termed "Rus", came down from Scandinavia, pillaged into Byzantine and Greece, then came north again, settling in Ukraine and southern Russia, and thus solidifying the emerging Russian state. They brought with them riches and also religion from Greece and Byzantium. Patriarch Photius of Constantinople described the Scandinavian Rus attack in AD 860.
The scene is painted with soft pastels that at one time seem to blend into each other yet hold a distinct form from the others. This unique blending is achieved by a combination of muted tones but with similar brush strokes of different colors in the same element.
The scene is outlined with gold and framed with a simple gold leafy pattern. The same gold leafy pattern but a little larger in size can be found wrapping around the box's sides.
The box is made out of paper-mache. Black lacquer covers the exterior and red lacquer covers the interior of the box. The lid is hinged from the top of the scene, and the box rests on four rounded feet. The work is signed with the artist's name, Mstera and the title ("From Varyag to Greece") on the lid's interior.