During
the Communist year in Russia, religious art could not find
any expression - it was banned altogether. The regime fell,
and the precious old traditions of their predecessors were
revived by contemporary Russian masters.
Russian
religious art is now famous around the globe. These intricately
carved and hand painted Angel figurines represent the mastery
of Russian artists, their unique gift for creating magic.
The
woodcarvings we offer are hand-carved from a solid piece of
wood and hand-painted by the best Russian artists. The wood
is from the Linden tree and is carefully selected and dried
for at least two years. Carvings are traditionally carried
from village to village to be exquisitely hand-painted by
selected, talented artists. In some cases, figures travel
over a thousand miles and it may take several weeks to complete
a single piece.
The
magnificent painting on each woodcarving is unique to that
artist and usually present scenes from the winter holiday
seasons and characters from Russian folklore.
Other
fine carvings include beautiful nutcrackers, carved Santas,
snowmen, Russian bears and other figures.
Nutcrackers
are perhaps the most interesting "modern" Christmas
ornaments which became popular fairly recently -- in the last
two hundred years. The story of The Nutcracker and the Mouse
King was written by E. T. A. Hoffmann (1816). Alexandre Dumas'
adaptation of the story was set to music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
and has become the most popular ballet performed around Christmas
time. It is appealing to children and adults alike and has
been a standard Christmas feature of theaters all over the
world.
Nutcracker
today is not a purely functional item. It is intricately carved
and hand painted to make it a truly spectacular ornament for
your Christmas tree, your mantel place, etc. It's perfect
as a stocking stuffer too.
These
unique Russian treasures we present will bring special festive
atmosphere into your home. They make great presents for you
and your loved ones.
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