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Zhostovo black lacquered metal trays painted with rich colorful flower ornaments represent one of the most famous Russian arts and crafts, Zhostovo painting, developed in the village of Zhostovo, Mytishi District of the Moscow Region.
The handicraft of painted metal trays appeared in the mid 18th century in the Ural, where metallurgical factories of the Demidovs were located (Nizhny Tagil, Nevyansk, Verkhneivinsk (now Novouralsk), and only in the first half of the 19th century the trays started to be made in villages of Moscow Province, such as Zhostovo, Troitskoe, Novoseltsevo, and others. Soon the Moscow handicraft took the lead. Zhostovo painting owed a lot to the Lukutins lacquered miniature on papier-mâché, produced in the nearby Fedoskino. Presently production of metal trays with lacquered painting is concentrated in Zhostovo Village of the Moscow Region and in Nizhny Tagil.
For production of Zhostovo trays thin roof steel is used: the steel plates are punched, and then the trays undergo rolling to make their edges hard. Afterwards they are grounded, polished and repeatedly lacquered with oil varnish, usually of black colour, and dried in a furnace after each layer.
Then Zhostovo masters paint trays freehand, without use of stencils or samples, totally relying on their own fancy. Painting is usually made against the black background (sometimes it can be red, dark blue, green or silver), and the artist works on several trays at once. The ornamental design is applied with liquid gold (gold powder diluted in transparent varnish or turpentine) or white paint with varnish, which is dusted with aluminum powder.
The main motif of painting is a flower bouquet of simple composition, in which big garden flowers alternate with smaller field flowers. Firstly, main silhouettes of the bouquet are marked, and then shadows, highlights and flower details are painted above. Afterwards big flowers are connected to the smaller elements with stems, blades of grass, and so on, and only in the end the ornamental pattern is drawn on the tray edges. After the painting Zhostovo items are covered with clear lacquer three times, dried in a furnace and polished by hand with soft powder to high lustre.
Widespread motifs of Zhostovo painting are bouquets and still-life compositions, flowers, vases, and garlands. By their function trays can be divided into two groups: those for household use (to serve food, or to put a samovar on) and just for decoration. Trays can be of round, square, octagonal, oval, combined, or some other shape.
From the first half of the 19th century there were workshops producing painted lacquered trays in several villages of Moscow Province. Zhostovo factory originated from the workshop opened by the Vihsnyakov brothers in 1825. In 1928 several artels, established on the basis of workshops after the revolution, merged into one - Metallopodnos (i.e. metal tray) – which was later, in 1960, transformed into Zhostovo Factory of Decorative Painting. Starting from 1938, future Zhostovo tray painters underwent in-plant training at the factory.
Today Zhostovo painting is applied not only to metal, but also to papier-mâché, ceramics, glass and even leather.
Sources:
thimble.h11.ru
zhostovo.ru
zhostovo.ru
