Studio: international art (37.1906)

Russian Peasant Industries

made by the Russian pea-
santry. Of the two drink-
ing vessels the one with a
hooked projection at the
back of the handle to hang
it up by, is a literal repro-
duction of an antique
model; while the duck-
""""^BflHH^^^' shaped bowl is an instance

wooden duck-shai'ed drinking-bowl in modern execution, of an ancient form with

poker-work with coloured ornamentation from an ancient model applied ornament of more

modern sort. This object

combined with carving. Employed thus, as it is, is, in fact, enriched with painting outlined in
quite sparingly, the colour is far more telling than poker-work, a mode of decoration until recently
if it covered the entire surface. The same principle unknown in Russia. The fact of its being an
is applied to carving itself as introduced into Rus- innovation is in this case the less apparent owing
sian woodwork, which is indeed the very antithesis to the ornamental forms themselves having a
of our own. Consider, for instance, to what poor certain quaint air of antiquity,
purpose chip-carving is used among ourselves. We I noticed in some of the painted decorations and
seldom adopt it seriously at all ; but given a small designs for embroidered work, other than those
box, a photograph-frame orsome slight fancy article, here shown, a decided bias towards eccentricity of
we cover the entire surface with chipping so that form, due, as I am persuaded, to the intervention
not a smooth square inch is left. The inevitable of youthful picture-painters with their cosmopolitan
result is that the whole thing looks trivial and ideals rather than to the natural genius of the
unsatisfying. Whereas, by the Russian method of peasant workers themselves. It is evident also
contrasting the elaborateness of the carving with that some of the more extravagant of the conti
the reticence of large areas of plain surface, the nental magazines devoted to the propagation of
full value of the ornament is appreciated where it I'Art Nouveau, have managed to obtain circulation
does occur. Thus furniture of the most rudi- in Russia, and have not failed in their effect on
mentary construction, without so much as a indigenous ornament. If I may be permitted to
moulding, becomes both attractive and artistic. say it, I consider these alien tendencies altogether
Occasionally there are introduced sturdy little unworthy and deplorable. Russia has such a
Muscovite columns in the round or in silhouette, magnificent storehouse of artistic traditions of her
but more often the outline is severely simple. The
lid of a chest or top of a table is composed of a
solid slab, maybe considerably over three inches
thick ; yet all appearance of heaviness is removed
by decorating the deep edge with a band of
geometrical chip-carving. Such treatment is best
exemplified here by the cupboard shown on p. 245,
where the edge of the shelf is decorated in the
manner described. The two rectagonal patches of
carving at the upper corners again help to show
how telling this kind of ornament may become by
contrast with smooth surfaces. The use of sliding
doors is very typical of peasant cabinet-work,
though the ornament upon the panels, in spite
of the conventional birds, is obviously inspired,
like the trees carved in the towel-bracket, by
design of a more extraneous type. The wooden
box shows by its rounded angles that it is founded
on an original of bent-wood, of which material, as
also of birch-bark, sewn or laced with narrow

carved wooden platter traditional design,

strips of the same, a number of receptacles are tartly coloured modern execution

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