Decorative art of Russian painted spinning wheels and the art of painted lacquer products in China during the Warring States of Qi Lien

Abstract

The article is devoted to the comparison of Mezen painted spinning wheels actively produced in Arkhangelsk province (Russia) in the XIX century and objects of Chinese art of Qi Lien painting of the Warring Kingdoms period. In this era, the skill of creating Chinese lacquer products was very developed, and the spinning wheel industry of the XIX century became the basis for the existence of a vital craft for Russian people. The spinning wheels were decorated with colored paintings with repetitive plots. The subjects of the study represent the most important part of the folk art of the two cultures, reflecting at the same time the aesthetic and spiritual preferences of the population. Their prevalence in both cases made it possible to identify the commonality of artistic techniques used by folk craftsmen. Scientific work assigns an important role to the techniques of manufacturing household items that demonstrate the prevailing artistic environment at the time of their regular use. The leading method of research is formal stylistic analysis, revealing characteristic compositional features. Comparative analysis makes it possible to identify similarities and differences in the works of DPI, which make it possible to hypothesize a paradoxical objective community. Considerable attention is also paid to the coloristic analysis and symbolic meaning of the murals. The scientific novelty of the study is due to the presence of a very limited number of sources mentioning the possible similarity of the two fields of folk art, none of which is fully devoted to the formal and stylistic features of objects created by unknown masters. The article closes this gap, aiming to discover specific unifying features. Its tasks become a detailed study of plots, compositions, techniques and materials used. The research allows us to come to the conclusion that the work of both Russian and Chinese artists reflected the main artistic aspirations of contemporaries, who often endowed objects and phenomena with symbolic meaning. There is a noticeable interest in the use of wood, the use of warm shades and the embedding of patterns in compositions. There is a similarity in the desire to reflect reality when including plant and animal motifs in their works. Also, the decorative and planar nature of the painting combines the rich details of the product. The relevance of the research is due to the convergence of Russian and Chinese cultures, so that the study of the issue can contribute to finding new points of spiritual contact.