Peasant with Cannon and Spear [Kalinin]

Product Description

Peasant (Bauer) with Spear and Cannon (Русский крестьянин (Бауэр) с копьем и пушкой). Handmade tableau figure mounted on a wood base that portrays a stern village peasant standing alongside a simple cannon and clasping a large spear. Unusual and collectible arts and crafts piece with enhancements that include wood burning (pyrography), painting and lacquer that was made in the1970s. "Made in USSR" paper label and factory number. About fine condition with light wear on the back and extremities. 10" x 6¼" x 2½". 1 only.

The Kalinin Toy (Калининская игрушка) is similar to the Kalinin Matryoshka (Калининская Матрешка). These were popular items made in Kalinin, situated on the Upper Volga River. In actuality, Kalinin was the medieval city of Tver, but had been renamed Kalinin after one of Stalin's loyal henchmen. After 1991, many cities were restored to their pre-Soviet names, for example Sergiev Posad (Zagorsk), Tsarskoye Selo (Pushkin), Nizhny Novgorod (Gorky) to name just a few. Thus, Kalinin was restored to Tver. History prevailed.