eBayers, customers and friends have requested more information on the "Russian Hand-painted Lacquer Cameo Gemstone" pendants, rings and jewelry.  We hope this information on "The Art of Making Russian Handpainted Miniature Cameos" will be helpful for anyone that is interested in this unique style of cameo gemstone heirloom.

Beautiful Horse Hand Painted on Carnelian Gemstone

Signed By the Artist

Russian Lacquer Art Miniature Cameos...Oil paintings on gemstones by Moscow's local artists

Fedoskino is one of the most poetic and astonishing places situated near Moscow. Not without reason the art of lacquered miniature was born there.

The secrets of making and painting lacquer art for over 200 years  have been passed from one generation to another. 

Russian Artists... The artists in the birthplace of Russian lacquer cameo miniatures are using a more realistic style of painting. They use oil paints for their drawings along with the egg-based temperas. Three to four layers of  paints, along with several coats of lacquer, are applied to the gemstone before it is completed. This layering brings out a radiant quality in the drawings and the colors seem to emanate from within. Sometimes, an underlay of gold leaf or mother of pearl enhances this radiance and adds a lovely iridescence of its own.

Handpainted Mermaid on Mother-Of-Pearl

Mother-of-pearl, gold leaf, silver foil and metal powder was and is broadly used. Painting in translucent layers of paint over various primings and linings was locally referred to as "see-through",  as distinct from ordinary thick painting as "body". It is important to note that combining the techniques of "see-through" and "body" has remained unchanged to the present time.

Some serious changes occurred in the ideology of Russian society in the late 1980's. Restrictions, which formally curbed creative freedom and prevented artists from self-expression, were lifted, giving rise to a new market for unique miniature cameo art.

Today many Russian Artists experiment with form, style and subject matter for their miniature cameo art.

Handpainted Flamingo Cameo on Black Onyx Gemstone

We have tried to included the basic information about the art of making Russian handpainted miniature cameo art, in hopes of giving my everyone an insight into the time/patience/talent the artists give to creating life into their prestigious cameo art.

Interesting History, Facts and Techniques
Known About Russian Lacquer Miniature Art

• Fedoskino, Palekh, Mstera and Kholui are today known to connoisseurs the world over for their inimitable lacquer miniatures
• The term lacquer is applied not only to the special coating liquids but also to the articles treated
• The lacquer technique originated in Japan
• China, Persia and Oriental lacquer work first became known in Europe in the 16th century
• In 1795 a Russian merchant Piotr Korobov visited the Braunschweig works in Germany
• Within a year Korobov had opened his own factory on the outskirts of Fedoskino
• The factory became famous for its simple, most often round, snuff-boxes
• The "Golden Age" of the Russian lacquers would begin after 1819 when the factory was passed to his son-in-law Piotr Lukutin

Image of N. Lukutin

• Note that the Factory had its own vocational school where the peasants were taught this craft
• Some snuff-boxes had an exterior ornamental decoration imitating tartan patterns, tortoiseshell, mother-of-pearl, ivory and mahogany
• The orginal technique of lacquer painting
• Pictures were produced by the application of several layers of oil paints
• The Techniques that were followed  had became wide-spread in the lacquer miniatures of late-18th and early-19th
• One to four layers were added and worked over: ground tinting, outlines, successive translucent layers and highlights
• Each piece in turn dried and was sealed with lacquer

• In some pieces,  mother of pearl was cut into the surface of the object and some layers of gold leaf were glued to it and then the powdered silver was dusted on
• The richness of texture was attained by an alternation between thickly painted colors covered with a translucent top layer

• The "through-painted" areas was where one colors shone through another
• This technique that gave the orginial Lukutin pictures their distinctive look of a succession of brilliant colors

Painted Image from 1890's

• Showing subdued, matt and shining, translucent and opaquely dense sections of the painted surface on the object
• Varied and detailed scenes of everyday life were often derived from the paintings or drawings of famous professional artists

Example of a Saint Icon Painted Image

• They received a new decorative and figurative treatment in the lacquers of the Lukutin Masters art pieces
• Folklore Art style was and still is very popular

• By the mid 19th century about one thousand peasants were already engaged in producing lacquer miniatures
• We are enthused with the Russians' ability to create gorgeous works of art in miniature

     If you have any questions, feel free to email us through ebay.  We firmly believe in sharing knowledge through others.  ebay is a excellent wealth of knowledge and a wonderful source for anyone to find items that they would like to collect or need.

All the Best!

If you have found this information helpful in any way

...Please check the box below...Many Thanks...