As the celebration began, it was tossed a bolt of misfortune. Now, there was doubt. Before the incidence, trust resided. The hero is right back at square one. Multiple warriors are sent to avenge the thievery of the beloved one. Greed and jealousy are thrown into the mix. But, the true warrior, with the truest heart, will come through. He will travel by horse, learning and battling along the way. The mysterious Finn. The Giant Head. And at long last, Chernomor the wicked magician. Will Ruslan have what it takes? Or will exhaustion hamper him before he arrives at quest's end? Ludmila will be waiting...
This alluring addition to any collection, especially ones based in fairy-tale, was created by the talented Valentin Tikhomirov of Mstera. Colorful action and luxurious decoration dominate the presentation. The box has great storybook appeal.
Egg-tempera paint is the primary medium used to compose this assembly of action from the adventurous Russian romance entitled, "The Tale of Ruslan and Ludmila." It tells of one hero's struggle to find his kidnapped love. His quest is tiresome and there are many pitfalls, but he does succeed. This composition shows portions of his tribulations and his triumph. There is the Giant Head that he battles, Chernomor whom he fights in mid-air, the sneaky Ratmir and his advance, the wisdom of the Finn and the glorious reunion. They all interact together to form a united whole.
The deep blue background sky within the composition really brings out the other colors and it also enhances the texture of the trees. The characters are simple but very well executed. There is great flow to the scene. Gold paint has been added to the mane of the horse and to Ruslan's outfit in the center of the scene. This produces a very royal effect for the centered climax.
The box is constructed from paper-mache made in the village of Mstera. Black lacquer is used to paint the exterior of the piece while dark red lacquer completes the interior of the box. A hinge has been fastened to the top of the composition to be used for ease of opening. The edge of the lid and base slightly extend outward giving the box a more antique personality. The box rests upon four angled feet carved as a portion of the base.
The lid's composition is framed with a thin golden filigree pattern interlaced with several golden flowers. A stripe of creamy coffee colored paint wraps around this filigree, encased by two thin stripes of gold. A larger version of the filigree patterning is found wrapped around all four base sides. Two bands of gold running parallel to one another rest just below the filigree pattern. The lower extending edge of the base is decorated with a bright assortment of golden beads. Upon completion of the piece the artist signs their name, the title and the village name of Mstera along the bottom of the composition in gold paint.
Materials: Egg-tempera paint, paper-mache, gold paint and lacquer.
About Artist Tikhomirov, Valentin Leonidovich:
Valentin Leonidovich Tikhomirov is a renowned artist to those who know his work in lacquer miniatures! Tikhomirov was born in 1947 in the village of Chernovorie in the Vyaznikovsky region of Vladimirskaya County. He currently resides in a large house in Mstera along with his family: his wife, daughter and her husband and their baby daughter. Incidentally, everyone in the family paints lacquer boxes.
He studied under E.N. Zonina and N.I. Shishakov at the Mstera Art School before graduating in 1967. His diploma work was "Conquest of Siberia". He began working at the Mstera Art Factory directly after graduation. Later, he was invited to teach classes in miniature painting, and was
...
read about Tikhomirov, Valentin Leonidovich
|
Item Specifications:
- Title: "Ruslan and Ludmila 2003"
- Price: $850.00
- Status: SOLD
|
Related Stories, Legends & Readings:
|
|
