A Kalmyk lady, facing left in pale green dress with white underslip, fur-bordered red cloak draped around her shoulders, black ribbon necklace, high powdered curling hair; seated at a writing table with an ink stand, holding a quill in her right hand writing a letter and holding a sheet of paper in her left hand, green curtain with gold tasseled background

Portraits of Kalmyks are extremely rare. The Kalmyks were a Mongolian race who lived in Southern Siberia but in the 17th century they became part of the Russian Empire and were considered an inferior minority. The present miniature is particularly interesting as it depicts a Kalmyk of apparently high social standing. Another miniature of a Kalmyk is illustrated in T. Selinova, Portrait Miniature in Russia - from the Collection of the Historical Museum, Leningrad, 1988, p. 132, pl. 89.