Palekh miniature 2498396 195630828 2008-03-03T20:33:51Z KNewman 81280 rmv Italics [[Image:Palekh Baklanov.jpg|thumb|300px|Village of Palekh]] '''Palekh miniature''' ({{lang-ru|Палехская миниатюра}}) is a [[Russia]]n [[folk art|folk]] [[handicraft]] of [[miniature]] painting, which is done with [[tempera]] paints on [[varnish]]ed articles made of [[papier-mâché]] (small boxes, cigarette and powder cases etc.). Palekh [[Russian lacquer art]] on papier-mâché first appeared in [[1923]] in the village of [[Palekh]], located in the district of ([[Ivanovo Oblast]]), and is based on a long local history of [[icon]] painting. This handicraft and style of miniature painting bore different names throughout its development, such as the Palekh [[Artel]] of Ancient Painting (since [[1924]]), Palekh Artists’ Association (since [[1932]]), and Artistic Production Workshops of the [[Artistic Fund of the USSR]] (since [[1953]]). The technology of making a semi-finished product was borrowed from the [[lacquer]] handicraft masters of Fedoskino (see ''[[Fedoskino miniature]]''). The Palekh miniatures usually represent characters from real life, literary works, [[fairy tale]]s, [[bylina]]s, and songs. They are painted with local bright paints over the black background and are known for their delicate and smooth design, abundance of golden shading, and accurate silhouettes of flattened figures, which often cover the surface of the lids and sides of the articles completely. Poetic magic of the Palekh characters, decorativeness of landscapes and architecture, and elongated proportions of the figures go back to the icon-painting traditions. The miniatures are usually set off with a complicated pattern made with gold dissolved in [[aqua regia]]. ==External links== *[http://www.instapanet.com/palekh.html Learn about the early icon-painting history of Palekh Russian Lacquer Art] - See images of the characteristic Palekh style of miniature painting. *http://www.russianlacquerart.com/cnt/Palekh/0500 Gallery of Quality Palekh Boxes! [[Category:Russian culture]] [[Category:Arts and crafts]] [[Category:Miniature painting]] [[ru:Палехская миниатюра]]