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Today
the 300-year old tradition of the Icon Masters continues. Linden
long are harvested and seasoned for two years. Some are selected
by the wood carvers, while others are sent to the turning shop,
where the same lathes from the time of Peter the Great are still
used today.
After the shaped pieces have dried in the kiln rooms, a thin layer
of brown clay "primer" is applied by hand and they are
kiln dried again. After three coats of oil are applied to the
primed pieces and they are air dried, their slightly sticky surfaces
are now ready for tinning. Today powdered aluminum replaces the
once- used tin. With the tinning process finished, and the pieces
kiln dried for a third time, these shiny, silvered works are ready
for the artist's hand.
Each silvered piece is painted by hand, without any initial sketching,
insuring that every one is a unique work of art. The magic of
Golden Khokhloma is in the final step. When the lacquer coating
is applied, any of the ornament that the artist has left silver
turns to a beautiful "gilt" illusion. Every piece takes
approximately 58 days to make, and some up to four months.
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