Miniature Art from Palekh, Mstera and Fedoskino

The Red Horse Brooch

The Red Horse, in Slavic culture, can be a symbol of the sun, fire and of a new life. The word "red" ("красный"), also means "beautiful" ("красивый"). It also can be found, that the horse friend is considerably better than the human friend. Ivan appears...

Sadko Fairy Tale Lacquer Brooch [Kholui]

Sadko (Садко) is a poor musician from Novgorod whose talents go unappreciated by the rich merchants of the city. He strikes a Faustian bargain with Tsar Morskoi (King of the Sea), who helps Sadko find the magic golden fish in Lake Ilmen. By winning the...

Fisherman and Goldfish Vintage Lacquer Brooch

Tale of the Fisherman and the Goldfish (Сказка о рыбаке и золотой рыбке). Classic fairy tale by Alexander Pushkin, published in 1835. An old fisherman catches a "Golden Fish" which promises to grant a wish in exchange for its liberty. The scene depicted...

Conversation [Беседа] Vintage Lacquer Brooch

Conversation (Беседа). Stylized scene of a couple in Russian peasant costume sitting at the table having an animated discussion. Painted in Novgorod, which was producing a limited number of boxes and brooches for the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Or...