Maslennikov, N. N. and A. V. Bakushinskii

Russkie khudozhestvennye laki [Russian Lacquer Art]

Moscow: Vsekokhudozhnik, 1933. Item #891

Book measures: 14.5 x 10.5 cm. 29 pages, 26 leaves of plates: illustrations. Text in Russian. One of 4,000 copies. At head of title: Vserossiiskii kooperativnyi soiuz rabotnikov izobrazitelʹnykh iskusstv. Nauchno-issledovatelʹskii institut khudozhestvennoi kustarnoi prom-sti. This copy exhibits water spots on the front cover and the first 16 pages, with the back cover showing damage that has been restored, although not professionally.

Russian lacquer art, evolving from icon painting traditions in post-imperial Russia, transitioned artists from ecclesiastical and domestic decorations to creating papier-mâché decorative objects. These objects, lacquered and hand-painted, often depicted folk tales. Fedoskino, near Moscow, emerged as the oldest center for this art since 1795, uniquely using oil paints for its realistic yet impressionistic miniature paintings on papier-mâché. The art flourished in three other centers: Palekh, Kholuy, and Mstyora, all located in the historical Vladimir-Suzdal Principality of central Russia. Unlike Fedoskino, artists here use egg tempera and gold leaf, continuing the legacy of 17th-19th century icon painting traditions. These traditions, halted by the 1917 Russian Revolution, are being revitalized by contemporary artists, preserving the rich heritage of Russian lacquer art.

As of April 2024, OCLC lists four institutional copies of this edition.

Price: $50.00