Alexander Mikhailovich Kurkin (Russian, B. 1916) "The Frog Princess -- First Brother Finds Wife" Signed lower edge. Original Painted lacquered plate.
Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.
This painting originally appeared on the MIPS Mint Stamp for the Marshall Islands "The Frog Princess" stamp issue of April 28, 2002.
One of the most popular fairy tales depicted in the Russian Palekh style of painting is The Frog Princess. The story begins when Prince Ivan and his two brothers must find a bride by shooting an arrow into the air. His brothers arrows are returned by love ladies, but Ivan's arrow is returned by an enchanted frog. The king orders each bride to sew him a shirt, bake him a loaf of bread, and dance for him. Ivan despairs because his "frog princess" cannot possibly accomplish these tasks. But each night the frog casts off its skin and turns into a beautiful maiden, winning the king's favor -- afterwards she turns back into a frog. One night, Ivan destroys the frog's skin, hoping that the princess; will never become a frog again. As a result, she is forced to leave Ivan forever. Years later he finds a hut in which an old woman lives who shows him how to get the princess back. Ivan and the princess are reunited and fly off together on a magic carpet.
Diameter: 9.5 in. (B06861)
Condition
- By registering to bid for this auction either in-house or online and/or placing a bid in this auction the BIDDER/BUYER agrees to all the terms and conditions of Helmuth Stone Gallery Auctions.
- All silver, gold and/or jewelry lots or invoices containing said lots MUST be paid for via wire transfer or cashier’s check, no other forms of payment will be accepted.
- All sales are final; no refunds will be given under any circumstances.
- Helmuth Stone Gallery provides condition reports as a courtesy to our clients and assumes no liability for any error or omission. Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client and is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Descriptions are our opinions and should in no way be construed as a guarantee of any kind as to age, condition, mater. The bidder assumes responsibility for ensuring that the condition of the item(s) meets with their satisfaction prior to bidding. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging.
- Online images can sometimes be low quality due to the uploading process, original high-resolution images can be requested via email at HelmuthStone@gmail.com
- We recommend looking into shipping quotes prior to bidding, shipping quotes can take up to a week or more post-sale as we host our auctions through 6 online platforms and shipping can become backlogged, if you would like a list of local shippers please email us directly.
- Our auction catalogs are hosted through multiple online platforms along with phone and in-house bidding. Bids placed on other platforms are not shown through this catalog. Because of this, even if it appears you are the only absentee bid or bidder on a lot, you may already be out bid or may have placed a bid equal to another bidder. Therefore, we always recommend bidding live.