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Rostov Finift
is a traditional Russian handcraft, first mentioning of which
is dated back to 1175. At that time a light brown colored enamel
was considered one of the most precious and beautiful materials.
Its' origins go back to the ancient Byzantine. Since that time,
the art of finift have gradually become purely Russian. The name
"Finift" originally came from the Greek "Fingitis"
(white or shining stone), then got changed to "Finipt"
and later became "Finift".
In XVIIIth century
the city of Rostov the Great became the main center of enamel
painting. The city itself is famous for its' rich artistic tradition
among Russians and foreigners alike. The artists of the present
time still carefully preserve the ancient tradition of Finift
for generations to come.
The process
of creating beautiful Finift is very delicate and requires an
enormous practical experience. Even the slightest change in it
can ruin an almost finished piece.
A thin layer
of enamel powder is placed onto a copper plate and cured in an
oven. This process is repeated several times to achieve the smooth
look of enamel.
After the initial
preparation, it's the artist's turn now to make the piece come
to life. The biggest challenge for the artist is to predict what
color the painting is going to be on the finished piece. The
painting itself is never done in just one layer. Usually it takes
three, four, and sometimes even more layers of paint to achieve
the desired look. After each layer of paint is applied, the piece
is cured at high temperatures. These undeniably beautiful and
unique artistic creations are able to keep their original brightness
and color for centuries never fading or loosing its' beauty.
For many years
during the Soviet era, Americans did not have the opportunity
to have or even see the truly fabulous Finift. But now it's a
great time to start enjoying your very own Finift creation.
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