he North of the Nizhni Novgorod province is a bountiful
land. The lush green of the flood plain meadows stretches
along the low left bank of the Volga bordered with boundless
dense forests. Villages and small hamlets are hiding in
the forests or lurking near the streams. The lands beyond
the Volga made a major contribution to the Russian history;
it is a country of many legends. This is the land that was
ravaged by the invading Mongol hordes of Batu Khan passing
through it on their conquest of Europe more than seven centuries
back. This is where the lake Svetloyar is whose clear waters
are still preserving the legendary town of Kitezh the citizens
of which refused to surrender to the evil force and were
redeemed by the Providence as the town was hidden on the
bottom of the lake. The folk arts and folklore flourished
in the Trans-Volga area of the Nizhni Novgorod province.
No other territory in Russia could equal it in the number
and originality of the folk arts and crafts that had sprang
to life and were developed in the local communities. The
Khokhloma painting on wooden articles is, perhaps, the one
type of Nizhni Novgorod folk craft that became most popular
in Russia and foreign countries.
Unknown craftsmen
Barrel/stool. 1880s
|
Most art historians
date back the origin of the Khokhloma painting style to
the 17th century. At that period the northernmost lands
of the Nizhni Novgorod province were just starting to recover
after the desolation brought by the Mongol invaders. New
settlers moved into the ravaged area beyond the Volga. The
handicraft of manufacturing wooden utensils with peculiar
decorative painting imitating gilding received the appellation
of Khokhloma art from one of the villages where it originally
had been practiced in ancient times and which grew to become
a trading post to which the local craftsmen brought their
wares for sale starting from the 18th century.
The Khokhloma handicraft became known as early as the 18th
century. For instance, the geographer Evdokim Zyablovsky
wrote after his journey to the Nizhni Novgorod province
in 1790s that the inhabitants of the Trans-Volga area complained
about the lack of arable land. He noted, though, that they
had mastered many wood-working skills. He wrote, "Local
woodland is another source of community welfare. The abundance
of wood allows some villagers to manufacture by turning
various dishes, cups, plates, and other similar wooden articles",
which are then "varnished and decorated all over with
golden ornaments and bright flowery patterns". The
geographer concluded, "The articles are light in weight,
solid, and well proportioned and the black and yellow varnishes
they brew from the linseed oil are very strong and clear".
A.Kuznetsova
Chiken-shaped scoop. 1930
|
It is not accidental
that the Khokhloma painting motifs remind one of the lush
grassy ornaments executed in cinnabar in the ancient manuscripts
or the painted frames of the icons representing scenes from
saints lives with their golden curled leaves weaving against
the scarlet or black background. The Khokhloma style generally
exhibits a combination of the red, gold, and black typical
of the decorative painting of that region in late 17th century
and first half of the 18th century. The three colors had
a profound symbolism for decorating the sacred church vessels
and the dishes and cups used in the monasteries and nunneries,
as well as in icon ornaments. The red color represented
the beauty, the gold color symbolized the spiritual heavenly
light, while the black color signified the graciousgrief
cleansing the human soul. The religious symbolism of colors
was lost in the Khokhloma art but the precise and solemn
scheme of colors inherent in the festive design of the "gilded"
dishes grew to be traditionally used for decorating all
wooden Khokhloma articles and made them especially favored
by the customers.
A vivid description of the
Khokhloma wooden utensils was given by the Russian court
physician G. Reman who came to the Makariev Fair in 1805.
In the picturesque chaos of the numerous fair stalls and
booths along the Volga bank he saw a long row of wagons
and carts packed with extraordinary wooden utensils. Reman
admired their strength as the lightweight dry wood of the
huge cups did not show any cracks despite the extreme heat
of the sun-scorched sand where they stood.
V.Tsvetkova Vase "Plentitude". 2001
|
The feeling of living nature characteristic of the rural
folk painters permeates the "grass-leaves" Khokhloma
painting style. Some motifs of the "grass-leaves"
style are also rooted in the folklore. The juicy grasses,
the vermilion flashes of cinnabar, and the graceful brush
strokes depicted the quest for beauty of the country painter,
his desire to show a humble grass stalk as a magic and fantastic
plant braided in exquisite curls. They remind one of the
images in the ancient wedding folk songs in which the "lusty
golden hops" are flourishing along the path leading
the bridegroom to his beloved where the "silken grasses"
are bowing to them and the flowers are instantly bursting
into bloom. The "grass-leaves" patterns have much
in common with the Russian folk songs in their rhythms and
poetical themes as the romantic feelings in them are expressed
in terms of the nature images.
The Kovernino district of
the Nizhni Novgorod province is famous as the birthplace
of the Khokhloma painting style. There are families in this
area who have been keeping secret formulas of the painting
trade and transferring them from one generation to the next
for more than three centuries. A visitor to the Kovernino
area strolling along the Uzola river keeps on admiring the
delightful views of fields and woods stretching to the horizon,
the hamlets hiding on the hill slopes, the leisurely flowing
waters of the Uzola river, and the lush meadows and birch
groves along its banks. In the quiet of a summer evening
the local women can be heard singling an ancient folk song
in a traditional style "for different parts".
The Semino ornaments are akin to soulful Russian folk songs;
the local artists as a group may be likened to an ensemble
of solo performers whose voices are unique and easily recognizable
but are joined together in a sweet melody.
E.Zaitseva "Princess-Swan". Scoop
(after a tale of A.Pouchkin "Tale about tsar Saltan"). 1999
|
|