Khokhloma painted dishes: features and types

Khokhloma painting is particularly attractive. You can peer at the characteristic red-gold intricate curls and wonderful natural motifs for a very long time. Dishes with such a painting captivate with their appearance, while it is not only elegant and colorful, which makes it a wonderful souvenir, but also very practical.

The word "Khokhloma" came into circulation thanks to the name of the settlement, which was also a significant trading center of the XVII century near Nizhny Novgorod. According to one version, the Khokhloma painting appeared due to the influence of the Old Believers, who, as a result of the persecution, came to the region of Nizhny Novgorod, bringing with them the traditions of icon painting and the creation of book miniatures with a set of peculiar symbols and painted patterns. At the same time, local craftsmen created high-quality dishes and kitchen utensils from wood.

According to another version, golden motifs in the design of kitchen items were used even before the arrival of the Old Believers in the region of Nizhny Novgorod. Tables and spoons in local villages were painted “tin” - using tin powder, which gave things after treatment an elegant look.

The heyday of painting fell on the XVIII century. Wooden utensils, painted in a special way, were in demand in the market. It spread not only throughout Russia, but also went to the countries of Central Asia, India and Persia. In Arkhangelsk, colorful, practical things for table use were readily bought by the Germans, British and French.

However, after a time when mass tableware production was established in Russia, handmade kitchen utensils even with the original design were not held in high esteem, since factory items cost significantly less money compared to piece goods.

The Khokhloma painting was reborn in the 1920s. Then they began to form special schools for processing wood and creating unique Khokhloma painting. Masters of their craft took part in numerous international competitions.

A sign of the Khokhloma style in decorating various kitchen items is the use of gold, red and black colors. Orange and yellow are also actively used. The color of azure, which gives a sense of peace, is much less common. Sometimes you can find dishes with a predominantly green color. Oil paints capable of withstanding the firing temperature are used for painting.

The painting is applied due to horseback or background writing. Horseback means drawing a pattern in black or red on a gold background.

Khokhloma ornaments are very characteristic and recognizable both by motives and by the manner of drawing.

• Grass. Blades of grass are applied with ornate lines, intricately interwoven. Supplements are images of small berries and spikelets.
• Flower pattern. It is drawn with wider strokes than in the previous case. Thanks to this, the petals are obtained. They are complemented by images of berries located around the stems.
• Gingerbread pattern. The ornament fits into the geometric shape - square, rhombus, circle.
• Kudrina - an ornament of golden curls, which in many respects determines the style of Khokhloma. Large branches are often depicted in gold with leaves acting, for example, as a border around the edge of the product.

The painting is inseparable from other stages of creating dishes, since the basis for applying the picture is important, as well as the further processing of the object, which allows you to save the picture during operation and give it artistic completeness. It is no coincidence that before applying the image the dishes are covered with a waterproof solution. Then - with oil, for example, linseed, due to which smoothness and glossy shine are achieved. After that, there is a tinning stage, when aluminum powder is applied to the surface, which allows to achieve a specular gloss.

At the end of processing, objects are placed in an oven at a temperature of 150 degrees and kept there for 4 hours to form a golden-bronze film on the surface - a characteristic sign of Khokhloma painting.

You can buy, order from a master or paint in the style of Khokhloma with your own hands the most diverse dishes for their purpose. It can be just a tea pair or a whole set of many objects with characteristic patterns:

• beer house;
• wine;
• for dessert;
• for spices;
• for first courses.

Popularly painted in the spirit of Khokhloma:

• plates and spoons;
• trays
• jugs;
• cups
• candy bowls and fruit bowls;
• sugar bowls;
• buckets;
• teapots.

Some people from their individual objects form their sets, focusing on certain patterns that are the center of the composition on specific instances.

• The most natural looks dishes with Khokhloma painting, made from wood. The tree itself is very light, but after processing it becomes heavier and takes on Khokhloma golden honey hues. A wooden painted plate or tea pair with such a pattern is quite practical.
• More familiar to dishes in our century are porcelain and ceramics. It is convenient to draw on porcelain, since the surface of the material is smooth. The drawing is beautiful and neat. Even very small objects can be made of porcelain.
• Ceramic tableware good for keeping heat like a thermos. At the same time decorated with Khokhloma, it looks festive on any table.
• Khokhloma painting glassware is also adorned - cans, glasses, jugs and other vessels.

Khokhloma paints are mainly autumn shades. Connoisseurs of the corresponding palette will find freshness of the Russian autumn day in dishes with characteristic motifs. It is no coincidence that many seek to enrich the house with objects with such a painting. The table, lined with dishes with Khokhloma design, looks royal.

About painting in the style of Khokhloma see below.