Product Description
Shepherd's Zhaleika Duet (Пастушья песня). The zhaleika (Жалейка) is a Russian wind instrument also known as a "folk clarinet" or hornpipe. The zhaleika was eventually incorporated into the balalaika band. Like the Scottish bagpipes, it has only an octave's worth of notes. Its timbre is described as "sad and compassionate". Unusual pastoral painted pendant of two shepherds playing their instruments. Yaroslavl region. 1980s. 1⅝"x1¼". One only.
Painting on enamel appeared in Rostov Veliky (125 miles northwest of Moscow) in the 18th century. The Veliky (i.e., The Great) appended to the town is to distinguish it from Rostov-on-the-Don, which is about 500 miles south of Moscow ,and to indicate that it's the older of the two towns. First mentioned in 862 in the Primary Chronicle, and two centuries later joined by Rurik to his Kingdom, it became the seat of the Church.
Since 1917, local artisans began creating miniatures on enamel with colorful floral patterns and put into filigree settings and frames. Finift painting has many layers and each layer is fired. Finift comes from the Greek “fingitis,” which means, “gleaming.”
