Those who know Russian will definitely recognize the tail of a firebird – a popular character of Russian folk tales. It is also a prominent feature in Yershov’s The Little Humpbacked Horse, a poem based upon Russian fairy tales. I made this Firebird switch plate cover for the Needham Theater on the Roof to commemorate the performance of The Little Humpbacked Horse when it retired after 20 successful runs.
Update. And guess what? The story continued… Several years later somebody picked a few feathers off the tail of this Firebird switch plate cover and I had to repair it. I guess it’s the Firebird’s tail – it loses its feathers, Ivan picks them up, and the tail goes over and over again…. We don’t know who the lucky guy (or gal) is and what their tail is.