Alexei Frolov (1929-2007) Russian, Hand Painted Lacquered Box With Battle Scene. Intricately detailed in beautiful colors. The writing at the lower left side translates to Mstera (or Mstyora), one of the primary villages that produced lacquered boxes before and after the rise and fall of the Soviet Union. The writing at center translates to Slovo Opoly Tsgreve, meaning "The Tale of Igor's Campaign," the title of an important Old Slavic epic poem, and indicating which battle the scene on the box lid represents. The writing at lower right translates to A. Frolov, meaning Alexei Frolov, one of the most prolific lacquer box painters in the history of the Soviet Union. 

Condition: Chips to paint throughout. Commensurate with age. 

Size: 7 3/4 x 4 x 1 1/2 in. 

Russian lacquer art developed from the art of icon painting, which came to an end with the collapse of Imperial Russia. The icon painters, who previously had been employed by supplying not only churches but people’s homes, needed a way to make a living. Thus, the craft of making papier-mâché decorative boxes and panels developed, with the items lacquered and then hand painted by the artists, often with scenes from folk tales. The village of Fedoskino, located not far from Moscow on the banks of the Ucha River, is the oldest of the four art centers of Russian lacquer miniature painting, which has been practiced there since 1795. It is also unique among the four in that oil paints are used rather than egg tempera, and the images are more impressionistic than the realistic composition and detail seen in Palekh, Kholuy, and Mstyora. The preservation of this art form has also allowed for new generations to explore icon painting since the fall of the Soviet Union. 

Aleksei Ivanovich Frolov was born on October 28th, 1929 in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. He studied at the Gorky art school from 1947 to 1952. From 1953 onward he lived in the town of Dzerzhinsk, where he taught drawing at secondary schools from 1952 to 1966. He was one of the earliest Union sanctioned artists in the region and their chief instructor and artist from 1969 to 1975, who focused on painting lacquered boxes. From 1975 to 1989 he worked in the Gorky art production workshops, during which he won countless national awards for his vivid battle scenes and depictions of Russian folklore. His works are still found in museums in Nizhny Novgorod, Astrakhan, Ivanovo, and Moscow, with numerous exhibitions in Germany, Finland, Sweden, France, Japan, the United States of America, and Israel since the fall of the Soviet Union. He traveled frequently to gather inspiration, and encouraged hundreds of pupils to pursue painting as well. He passed away at home on September 9th, 2007, and today his work continues to gain appreciation in the West.

Chips to paint throughout. Commensurate with age.