Miniature Art from Palekh, Mstera and Fedoskino

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...

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...

Humpback Pony Fairy Tale Lacquer Brooch [Mstera}

The Little Humpbacked Horse (Конёк-Горбунок). Also known as The Magic Pony, this piece illustrates a crucial event in the story. The Little Humpbacked Horse is a fairy tale in rhyme by Pyotr Pavlovich Yershov (Пётр Павлович Ершов) (1815-1869). The...

Oleg Prince of Kiev Lacquer Brooch

Oleg Prince of Kiev (Олег Князь Киевский). Oleg was the Grand Prince of Kiev and successor of his brother Rurik Prince of Novgorod. He loved his horse yet never rode him. A magician told Oleg that his horse would bring about his death. The prophecy...

Going to the Well Lacquer Brooch [Kholui]

Going to the Well (У колодца). A dynamic miniature of a young girl on her way to the village well. This brooch is painted on wood, which is unusual. It bears the hallmark of a Kholui artist (initialed on the back), who used a colorful palette of pink,...

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...