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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