Miniature Masterpieces Inspired by Iconography

Russian lacquerware is an artform born of tradition and beauty

All of the boxes are quite small, no more than three or four inches along a side. A closeup view of “Hats,” 1995, from Fedoskino, Russia. Paint on papier-mâché, lacquer. A gift from the private collection of Dennis H. and Marian S. Pruslin. Museum of Russian Icons

Russian lacquerware developed in rural villages and formed a legacy of artists adapting local traditions to a new artistic medium. 

The ornate papier-mâché treasures are decorated with detailed paintings of folk stories and fairy tales. Then they are lacquered and polished to a high sheen, giving them a charming, lifelike glow.