Troika in Snow Lacquer Box

Vintage Palekh lacquer box hand painted with a traditional Troika sled of 3 horses.

Measures 4 x 4 x 1.25"

Palekh Russian lacquer art on papier-mâché first appeared in 1923 in the village of Palekh and is based on a long local history of icon painting.

The technology of making a semi-finished product was borrowed from the lacquer handicraft masters of the village of Fedoskino. The Palekh miniatures usually represent characters from real life, literary works, fairy tales, 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.

Palekh is the most renowned of four such famous villages, the others being Kholuy, Mstyora, and Fedoskino, each producing similar, but clearly distinct artistic style.