Vintage Russian Kholuy Lacquer Box Hand Painted Rostov Kremlin Signed V.M. 7cm

A charming vintage Russian lacquer miniature box from the Kholuy tradition, finely hand painted with a colourful architectural view of the Rostov Kremlin (Rostov Veliky).

The miniature depicts the Kremlin’s distinctive churches, towers and red walls beside the water, picked out against a traditional black ground with delicate gold-coloured ornamental borders.

The lid carries several hand-painted Cyrillic inscriptions. To the lower left is “ХОЛУЙ” (Kholuy), while the central inscription reads “КРЕМЛЬ В РОСТОВЕ”, translating as “Kremlin in Rostov”. To the lower right is the abbreviated inscription “исп. В.М.”, apparently identifying the executor/painter by the initials V.M.

Close inspection shows the individual brushwork throughout the architecture, trees, water, lettering and decorative border. The slightly irregular lines and tiny variations visible under magnification are characteristic of hand-applied decoration rather than a mechanically reproduced image.

A particularly attractive example because both its Kholuy origin/tradition and subject are identified on the miniature itself.

Approximate date: Late 20th century, probably 1980s–1990s.

Dimensions:
7 cm long
5 cm wide
2.5 cm high

Condition:
Good vintage condition with light surface wear and minor marks consistent with age and previous handling. Please study all photographs carefully as they form an important part of the description and show the condition, decoration and inscriptions in detail.

A lovely small piece of Russian decorative art and an appealing addition to a collection of Kholuy, Palekh, Mstyora or Fedoskino lacquer miniatures.