Exhibition of Russian lacquer boxes from artists of the villages of Mstoira, Palekh, Fedoskino and Kholui in Russia

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.

Firebird from Kholui £120.00 - SOLD	Troika at Mstiora 11x8.5cm with hinged lid £130.00
Landscape from Fedoskino £140.00	By the well from Fedoskino £135.00


Snowmaiden from Mstiora 5.5cm with detachable lid £80.00	Snowmaiden from Kholui 8x14cm with hinged lid £145.00
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.

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.
Winter, Troika from Mstiora £150.00	Firebird from Palekh £150.00
Landscape from Fedoskino £130.00 - SOLD	Landscape from Fedoskino 6x5cm with hinged lid £100.00 - SOLD
Hedgehog from Mstiora £80.00 - SOLD	Frog from Mstiora £75.00

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.