Russian lacquer box "Hunchback horse" Palekh

Original Lacquer box in papier-mâché handmade in Palekh (Russia).
- Origin: Palekh (Russia)
- Subject:"Hunchback horse fairy tale"
- Technique: tempera and gold
The rectangular-shaped lacquered box depicts the "hunchback horse fairy tale" and is handmade in Palekh (Russia). All the decorations are made in tempera and gold by using just one squirrel hair paint brush and egg tempera.
The existence of the Russian lacquers art dates back to the fall of the imperial Russia as a consequence of the prohibition of making Russian sacred icons. These precious items represent one of the most original and richest production in the Russian craftsmanship where the soul of the population is reflected.
The making process of these Russian lacquers in papier-mâché is very complicated and follow some steps. First of all, some pieces of cartons are cut in thin strips which are then pugged with glue and flour. Secondly, they are placed on metal shapes with the same measure of the box. Once they have taken the desired thickness, they are put under pressure for 2 weeks at room-temperature, then soaked in a special bath of hot linseed oil for 24 hours and dried in ovens at 120 degrees for 4 days. After that, the small box is firstly sandblasted and a basic mix of clay and ash is applied, and secondly dried and sanded smooth. At this point the inside of the box can be painted with several coats of liquid lacquer, while the outside is given only a coat of lacquer, cinnabar and carmine, in order to obtain a red paint.
The last step of the process is the polishing of the lacquer in order to achieve a matt paint.