Zhostovo trays beautiful folk art
Old Russian folk handicraft Zhostovo painting comes from a village of Zhostovo in Moscow region. Originally, manufacture of painted metal trays appeared in the middle of the XVIII century in the Urals. There were steel mills of Demidov (Nizhny Tagil, Nevyansk, and Verkhne Neyvinsk). Moscow manufacture of metal trays appeared only in the first half of the XIX century. However, the most beautiful and colorful trays – made in the villages of Moscow province – Zhostovo, Trinity, and Novoseltsevo.
In fact, Zhostovo painting handicraft stylistically related to porcelain and enamel painting techniques, used by factories near Moscow. Also, flower motifs on printed cotton, produced by the Ivanovo factories, and Fedoskino miniature.

Famous Zhostovo is a village in the North of Moscow in Mytishchi, on the picturesque Bank of the Klazma. By the middle of the 19th century there were already 12 workshops producing the traditional trays. In 1928, several cooperatives formed on the basis of the workshops, united into one – “Metallopodnos” in the village of Zhostovo, which later (1960) was transformed into Zhostovo factory of decorative painting. Zhostovo factory has become known throughout the world. For nearly two centuries a truly remarkable work of art – painted Zhostovo trays have been produced by hands of talented Russian artists, craftsmen.

Traditionally, painting is a bunch of mixed garden and wild flowers, which is simple and laconic in its essence. The edges of a tray painted with a light golden ornament called uborka. A finished tray then covered with three layers of light lacquer and polished to brilliance.

Undoubtedly, the traditional Zhostovo trays is a masterpiece of folk art. Noteworthy, to distinguish the truly talented thing from kitsch helps one criteria – whether it warms the soul or not.

Zhostovo trays beautiful folk art

Classic motif of painting is a floral bouquet on a black background skillfully integrated into a tray. Of course, each bouquet is unique. In addition to bouquets on trays, there are also landscapes, still life, Russian troika, fairy-tale characters, dating, dances, tea parties, portraits of beloved cats, dogs and family. But it already applies to copyright works and not quite traditional Zhostovo.

And how the masters create such beautiful trays?
First, they cover the hammered iron trays with several layers of lacquer and paint with oils. Noteworthy, the artists paint bright bunches of flowers not at once, but in several stages. Second, the artist traces the general outline in diluted pigments and distributes the principal color patches.
Third, the craftsmen elaborately design the shapes of the leaves and flowers on the trays (previously dried in ovens for several hours). Then, they apply transparent shadows, and locate the lighter patches. The highlights in white (sometimes slightly tinted) applied to enhance the volume.
And finally, the finishing touches. In particular, the contours of the leaves and flower petals, which they stress with dynamic lines. Also, miniature springs help to set the design into the background.

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