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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 animals, folk tales, landscapes and scenes from village life with each
village demonstrating its own distinctive method of painting and style
The
boxes are either hinged or have detachable lids and the inside is
painted in its characteristic red.
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The Chemist from
Palekh
8x6cm with
detachable lid
£260.00 - SOLD
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Vladimir from Mstiora
5x5cm with
detachable lid
£70.00 - SOLD
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Suzdal from
Kholui
11x6cm with
detachable lid
£120.00
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Light of My
Mirror from Mstiora
5.5x5.5cm with
detachable lid
£70.00
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Butterfly and
Flowers from Mstiora
5x5cm with
detachable lid
£70.00 - SOLD
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The Station
Master from Mstiora
10.5x6cm with hinged lid
£120.00
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Alyonushka from
Kholui
7.5x4cm with
detachable lid
£85.00 - SOLD
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Hedgehog from Mstiora
7cm with
detachable lid
£80.00
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Hare from Mstiora
5.5cm with
detachable lid
£80.00 - SOLD
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Capercaillie from Mstiora
7cm with
detachable lid
£75.00
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Eagle Owl from Mstiora
7cm with
detachable lid
£75.00
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Bird and Flowers from Mstiora
7cm with
detachable lid
£80.00
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Rabbit from Mstiora
7cm with
detachable lid
£75.00 - SOLD
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Fox from Mstiora
7cm with
detachable lid
£85.00
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Squirrel from Mstiora
7cm with
detachable lid
£85.00
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Landscape from Fedoskino
13x6cm with
hinged lid
£140.00
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Frog from Mstiora
7cm with
detachable lid
£75.00
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Winter, Troika from Mstiora
£150.00
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Landscape from Fedoskino
6cm with
hinged lid
£100.00 - SOLD
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Landscape from Fedoskino
6cm with
hinged lid
£100.00
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Landscape from Fedoskino
6cm with
hinged lid
£100.00
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Snowmaiden from Mstiora
5.5cm with
detachable lid
£80.00 |
Snowmaiden from Kholui
8x14cm with hinged lid
£145.00 - SOLD
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The
lacquer
miniature brooches are painted directly onto mother of pearl by
artist Anton Pukhov. Each brooch measures 5x4cm and has a
mixed metal base, containing some silver.
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Fedoskino
landscape brooches 5x4cm
£35.00 each
Several layers of paint are applied, each dried and
coated with a transparent lacquer, before the final step of polishing
occurs. The papier mache brooches have a safety pin fastening - do
not be surprised! Papier mache needs a light setting, and 'the English
pin' as it is known in Russia makes a secure and practical catch.
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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.
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Discover more about
Russian Lacquer Miniatures in this collectors guide
by Cherry
Gilchrist
£9.95 |
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View
Russian Still Life Paintings
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