Palekh and Kholui lacquer miniatures
Palekh and Kholui lacquer miniatures.
Palekh and Kholui (along with the lesser known Fedoskino and Mstiora) are the main centres of Russian lacquer miniature production. Notable for their bright colours, subtle brushwork and refined drawing, these decorated boxes, caskets, panels and other artefacts recount fairy tales, folklore traditions, and past and contemporary life.
The history of lacquer painting goes back to 1798 when the Moscow merchant Petr Ivanovich Korobov founded a papier-mâché factory in Danilkovo, a suburban Moscow village. It has evolved over the centuries into a most original, skilled, detailed and artistic handicraft.
Above: Palekh and Kholui lacquer miniatures.
By Peter Burnett
Member since July 27, 2022
View ArticlesAn avid playing card collector since the early 1970s. While the bulk of my collection originates from the UK, Western Europe and the USA, I have always had a “soft spot” for Russian packs - in part because I studied Russian at both school and University in the 1960s, and also because it was in Moscow in 1968 that I stumbled upon my first 3 packs which fired my curiosity and thence my life-long interest.
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