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Click on the styles below to view more boxes.
 Fedoskino |
 Kholui |
 Mstera |
 Palekh |
Three hundred kilometers northwest of Moscow are the villages of Fedoskino, Kholui, Mstera and Palekh. It is in this tiny area that all Russian lacquer boxes are crafted.
The villagers work together to create their unique designs, using methods that have been passed on for generations. Carpenters shape and form the box to have smoothness, so the painters can easily coat each box with lacquer: the outside usually in black and the inside in red. After they apply an additional coat of clear lacquer, they send the box to the artist.
The artist draws an outline, paints it in with zinc white, and covers it with colors, which are egg-emulsion tempera made fresh in extremely small quantities. Gold-leaf is applied, and burnished with a wolf’s tooth. All artists make their own brushes from squirrel hair and often paint their detailed designs with the aid of a magnifying glass.
Finally the artist signs the box and adds the title and name of his village. Although different boxes may share the same theme, every box is individual in its execution.
