Khokhloma Painted Motifs
We offer an incredible variety of colourful bookmarks hand-painted with Khokhloma-style plant and floral designs.
Khokhloma golden woodwork
The inimitable golden colour of wood in Khokhloma painted decorations is produced by the original method involving no gold paint. Wooden articles turned with a lathe are primed with aluminum (in olden days tin or silver was used for the purpose) on top of which a plant design is painted with a brush in a lively free manner. Thereafter the article is covered with transparent varnish and fired at a high temperature in a kiln from which it is taken out as an already “gilded” object. The aluminum ground lights up the lacquer that is yellowed as a result of its baking in the kiln. Occasionally, plant motifs are enlivened by addition of a green colour. The motifs are either painted over a golden ground or a ground is left untouched forming the silhouette of the ornament that is filled with colour. .jpg)
Working on a painted decoration a Khokhloma artisan keeps improvising with a composition by using different combinations of the traditional ornamentation patterns, e.g. the derevko [tree] in which all the elements are arranged around a vertical stalk; the travka [grass] ornament painted in broad strokes with subsequent representation of grass blades by light dabs of a brush; the kudrina [curl] decorative representation of curving leaves; the prianik [gingerbread] decorative composition consisting of a rosette inscribed in a square or rhombus; the sestrichki [little sisters] -double or triple petals; the kustik [small shrub] – a picture of bright leaves and berries on small stems, and other fanciful ornaments.
Khokhloma golden woodwork
The inimitable golden colour of wood in Khokhloma painted decorations is produced by the original method involving no gold paint. Wooden articles turned with a lathe are primed with aluminum (in olden days tin or silver was used for the purpose) on top of which a plant design is painted with a brush in a lively free manner. Thereafter the article is covered with transparent varnish and fired at a high temperature in a kiln from which it is taken out as an already “gilded” object. The aluminum ground lights up the lacquer that is yellowed as a result of its baking in the kiln. Occasionally, plant motifs are enlivened by addition of a green colour. The motifs are either painted over a golden ground or a ground is left untouched forming the silhouette of the ornament that is filled with colour. .jpg)
Working on a painted decoration a Khokhloma artisan keeps improvising with a composition by using different combinations of the traditional ornamentation patterns, e.g. the derevko [tree] in which all the elements are arranged around a vertical stalk; the travka [grass] ornament painted in broad strokes with subsequent representation of grass blades by light dabs of a brush; the kudrina [curl] decorative representation of curving leaves; the prianik [gingerbread] decorative composition consisting of a rosette inscribed in a square or rhombus; the sestrichki [little sisters] -double or triple petals; the kustik [small shrub] – a picture of bright leaves and berries on small stems, and other fanciful ornaments.
