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RUSSIAN LACQUER Boxes |
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The lacquer
miniatures
are painted in schools, specialising in this art form, in the
central Russian villages of Kholui, Palekh, Fedoskino and Mstiora.
The schools have their roots in icon painting, but today often
depict folk tales, landscapes and scenes from village life with each
village demonstrating its own distinctive method of painting and style. All the boxes have lids, either hinged or detachable, and the inside is painted in its characteristic red. |
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The
lacquer
boxes are painted in the central Russian villages of Kholui,
Palekh, Fedoskino and Mstiora. Here,
magical scenes are created in exquisite detail, keeping alive the rich
repertoire of Russian folk stories, historical legends and tales of
national heroes. Each
village boasts an art school, a museum, workshops and studios.
The artists believe that the spirit of place is all-important and
that the quiet beauty of the village feeds their work. They train for five years to qualify in their unique skill. The
roots of the Russian Lacquer Miniature lie in the ancient tradition of
icon painting. It was also
influenced by the introduction of papier mache from Germany, and by
lacquering techniques from the Far East. Each
box requires months of preparation by dedicated craftsmen.
The papier mache is ‘slow-cooked’, then turned like wood to
the desired shape. The
artist paints freehand; if tempera is used, this means layer upon layer
of paint for depth and translucency.
Gold leaf is used for fine detail and borders.
Finally, 7-12 coats of lacquering and polishing bring the box to
a glossy and durable finish. FOUR SCHOOLS: The art of PALEKH is iconic, with stylised figures, fantastic landscapes, and an austere black background. KHOLUI is dynamic and colourful, with many swirls of wind and water. MSTIORA is more pastoral, with subtle, muted colours. These three schools use tempera paints, whereas FEDOSKINO, the fourth, uses oils. It also often uses an underlay of mother of pearl, or gold leaf, creating an inner luminosity in the work. |