5/24/2023 0 Comments Russian Lacquer Boxes by UnknownPlease note – It’s extremely hard to photograph Russian Lacquer Miniatures well, since they are tiny, shiny and convex! Any gleams on the photograph are from where the light is catching the lacquer polish. Money for commissioning icons, however, can be found more readily. One issue is the sheer time-consuming nature of creating them as the Russian cost of living rises, and the differential between this and the West diminishes, it’s almost impossible for buyers to compensate the artists adequately for their skill and work. I hope that in time, the lacquer art painters will profit better from their creations, and find a market for the traditional boxes once again. (NB – this otherwise excellent article is not always accurate on history or painting techniques!)Įverything about the history and style of the art form still stands, however. The Western market for buying lacquer miniatures has almost dried up, and many artists have switched to painting icons and commemorative panels, as this article in the New York Times illustrates. (A busy time!) Now, nineteen years later, of course much has changed. It was based, at that point, on my nine years of travelling to and from Russia, investigating the art form, staying in the village of Kholui, and running Firebird Russian Arts in the UK. This article was first published in the American magazine ‘Russian Life’in Nov/Dec 2001. The Story of the Golden Fish – Lacquer miniature from Kholui
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