Original Russian Lacquer box "Saint George" Palekh

Original Lacquer box in papier-mâché handmade in Palekh (Russia).
- Origin: Palekh (Russia)
- Subject: 'Saint George'
- Technique: tempera and gold
The rectangular-shaped lacquered box depicts the 'Saint George' and is handmade in Palekh (Russia).
All the decorations are made in tempera and gold; the subtlety of the details is incredible as they are made by using a brush with a single squirrel hair and egg tempera.
The Russian lacquers art dates back to the fall of the imperial Russia when it was forbidden to make Russian sacred icons. These precious items represent one of the most original and richest production of Russian craftsmanship.
In this type of art is reflected the soul of the population.
The manufacturing process of these Russian lacquers in papier-mâché is very complicated: first of all, some cardboard is cut in thin strips and then soaked with glue and flour. They are then placed on metal moulds with the same measurements of the box. Once they have reached the desired thickness, they are put in a press for 2 weeks at room-temperature, then soaked in flax seed oil for 24 hours and dried in the oven at 120° for 4 days.
After that, the box is firstly sanded and treated with 3 coats of a priming mixture of clay and ash, dried in the oven and polished. At this point the box is ready to be painted be painted with several coats of liquid 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 finish.
This precious article is delivered with certificate of warranty, origin and authenticity.