In comparison with similar crafts of Palekh, Fedoskino and Mstera, the Kholuy traditional lacquer miniature is considered the youngest. But it is highly valued both at home and abroad and occupies a worthy place.
The village of Kholui, located in the Ivanovo region, has been called an icon-painting place since 1613. According to experts, the first icon painters were the monks of the local monastery. Later, gifted children from neighboring Mstera and Shuya began to teach the skill.
The birth of the trade
The master's works were lost after the revolution. Those who remained in the village started looking for the use of talents. The artel created by them started making copies of paintings. The artists were able to realize their creative potential in 1934, when they began painting lacquer miniatures in the traditional manner of painting.
Initially, practically no one believed in the uniqueness of the craft he proposed, since the Mstersky and Palekh products had already won worldwide recognition.
With the support of Professor Bakushinsky, the craftsmen made the feature more realistic, preserving the decorative effect of the work. The craft was founded by masters Puzanov, Mokin and Kosterin.
Features of the
Kholuy miniature maximally conveys the reality of the outlines of the drawing. The color scheme is based on a cool blue-green with a warm sandy-orange spectrum. The image only comes alive with additional colors.
The use of silver and gold is permitted only in ornament. The Kholuy miniature attracts attention with the kindness of discreet paint.
Over time, the artel turned into a city-forming enterprise. In 1937 her works received a bronze medal at an exhibition in Paris. The topic was expanding. More and more often, masters depicted fragments of folk tales. The landscape also acquired an independent role, ceasing to be only the background of the composition.
The artists paid much attention to the realism of the figures and the expressions on the faces of the heroes. The drawing was decorated with architectural objects. In 1961 the Kholuy miniature received international recognition. As the number of orders from abroad grew, so did the number of painters.
Stages
No special changes have been made to the technology over the years. Most of the steps are performed manually, ensuring that a part of the master's energy is transferred to the product. Therefore, each item made in Kholui increases in value over the years.
Work begins with winding, tubes made of pressed cardboard soaked in linseed oil, dried in an oven. The blank is given the shape of the future product.
The hardened winding is primed, polished and covered with black and red varnish and transferred to artists.
Each of them keeps a secret formulation of paints. Apply paints exclusively with a squirrel brush. Cherry resin is added to the ornament, mixed with gold leaf, which is polished with a wolf's tooth.
On the finished work, varnish is applied in several layers and the gloss is again brought to the disappearance of the slightest scratches.
