Trinity Monastery of St. Sergius Round Box

Trinity Monastery of St. Sergius Round Box (Троице-сергиев монастырь сергиев посад). An elegant polychrome box from Zagorsk (today Sergiev Posad), which is the oldest center for the production of this type craft in Russia. A favorite theme for decoration was the Trinity Monastery of St. Sergius with its powerful fortress walls and church architecture. This most important monastery is the spiritual center of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Frankly, this little box stumps us as to its age and where it was made. It's the first we've seen that's not typical linden wood, but appears to be birch. It could be an older box, or perhaps a box made after 10-20 years ago, using materials available to the artists. 4½" diameter, 2⅝" in height. The box is in excellent condition, almost like new.

Pokerwork, also known as pyrography, has been around for 500 years as a decorative element. It was in the late 19th century that painting combined with pokerwork became popular. The main ornamental composition is drawn in the wood with a heated needle. This picture is then painted in simple or complex color schemes, then coated with lacquer. Common themes include Trinity Monastery of St. Sergius, with its powerful and ancient fortress walls from the 15th-18th centuries. Other compositions depict folk festivals, fairy tales, and village themes.

A Short History of Zagorsk and Sergiev-Posad Folk Art