Vintage Russian Lacquer Box Hand Painted Bread & Salt Khleb i Sol Soviet Folk Art

A beautiful vintage Russian hand-painted lacquer miniature box depicting the traditional Russian “Bread and Salt” (Хлеб и соль / Khleb i Sol) ceremony of hospitality.

The lid features a woman in traditional Russian dress presenting the ceremonial bread, set against a wonderfully colourful architectural backdrop incorporating the towers and churches of the Moscow Kremlin.

The miniature is painted in vivid red, cream, green, silver and gold tones against the traditional glossy black ground, surrounded by a hand-painted scrolling gold border. Fine details can be seen throughout the costume, facial features, architecture and decorative elements.

An inscription at the lower left appears to read “Хлеб и соль” (“Bread and Salt”), identifying the subject. There is also an abbreviated painted inscription or artist’s initials at the lower right.

The box has a traditional black lacquer exterior with a contrasting bright red interior. Examination of the decoration shows individual brushwork and variations within the painted areas, consistent with a hand-painted miniature rather than a printed or applied image.

Stylistically, the miniature belongs to the wider Palekh/Kholuy tradition of Russian lacquer painting, with flat jewel-like colours, fine outlines, gold ornament and a black ground. As the surviving inscriptions do not allow the workshop or artist to be identified with sufficient certainty, I have deliberately not attributed the box to a particular Russian lacquer village or named artist.

I believe this is most likely a mid-to-late Soviet period piece, approximately 1960s–1980s.

Dimensions

Approx. 9.2 cm long × 6 cm wide × 3.5 cm high.

Condition

Good vintage condition overall with age-related wear. There is a small chip/loss to the lacquer on one side of the box, which has been photographed and is mentioned for accuracy. There are also scattered fine surface marks and scratches, some rubbing to the lacquer and decorative edges, and minor wear around the interior and hinge area.

The hinge remains intact and the box opens and closes as intended.

Please study all photographs carefully as they form an important part of the description and show the small chip and general condition in detail.

A particularly appealing example of Russian decorative folk art, with the traditional Bread and Salt subject giving the miniature considerable cultural character. It would make a lovely addition to a collection of Russian lacquer miniatures, Soviet decorative art, folk art or small hand-painted boxes.