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This SMALL GICLEE box is signed with the Artists name Mikheev (in Russian letters). Box depicts young people in Troika carriage on a hot summer day.

The box measures 11 cm ( 4 5/16 inches) long, 8.3 cm (3 1/4 inches) wide, 1.6 cm deep.

Giclée is a neologism coined in 1991 by printmaker Jack Duganne for fine art digital prints made on inkjet printers. The name originally applied to fine art prints created on IRIS printers in a process invented in the late 1980s but has since come to mean any inkjet print. It is often used by artists, galleries, and print shops to suggest high quality printing but since it is an unregulated word it has no associated warranty of quality.

The word giclée was adopted by Jack Duganne, a printmaker working at Nash Editions. He wanted a name for the new type of prints they were producing on the IRIS printer, a large-format, high-resolution industrial prepress proofing inkjet printer they had adapted for fine-art printing. He was specifically looking for a word that would not have the negative connotations of "inkjet" or "computer generated". It is based on the French word gicleur, which means "nozzle" (the verb form gicler means "to squirt, spurt, or spray"). An unintended consequence of Duganne's choice of name was its problematic use in the French language since it is also modern French slang for male ejaculation.

Besides its original association with IRIS prints, the word giclée has come to be associated with other types of inkjet printing including processes that use fade-resistant, archival inks (pigment-based), and archival substrates primarily produced on Canon, Epson, HP and other large-format printers. These printers use the CMYK color process but may have multiple cartridges for variations of each color based on the CcMmYK color model (such as light magenta and light cyan inks in addition to regular magenta and cyan); this increases the apparent resolution and color gamut and allows smoother gradient transitions. A wide variety of substrates is available, including various textures and finishes such as matte photo paper, watercolor paper, cotton canvas, or artist textured vinyl.

Troika is the traditional Russian carriage drawn by a team of three horses harnessed abreast. It has become a symbol of Russia and is widely employed in folkloric scenes, movies (such as Doctor Zhivago), paintings and literature.It first appeared in the 18th century and was mainly used for postal services, for transporting passengers (mainly for long distances) and later in festivities such as weddings. The Russian troika is known for its high speed (up to 50 kilometers an hour) and was often compared to a flying bird.The high speed was possible due to the special training and arrangement of the horses at the carriage. The horse in the middle, called the shaft horse, trots and acts like a locomotive, while the tracers - the horses on its sides – maintain a brisk gallop. This method of arranging the horses became popular not only for speed, but also for endurance, good cargo capacity, maneuverability and safety; a three-horse carriage was much more stable than the two-horse carriage widely used in Europe.Driving a troika required special skills. Those wishing to become troika drivers had to be trained from a young age and be physically fit; the arms of the driver sometimes had to endure up to 50 kilograms of weight while trying to maneuver the horses. The special arrangement of horses also allowed the driver to control the load on each horse.

At a certain point the driver could lash one side horse so that it would run faster and let the other rest. The profession of troika coachman was hereditary and prestigious among peasants. Coachmen were also exempt from capitation tax.Not only the drivers needed special training – but the horses did too. The Orlov Trotter, the most famous breed of horse developed in Russia, was considered to be the best troika horse because of its long stride, speedy trot, stamina, and at the same time, beauty and elegance. The breed was named after its developer, Aleksey Orlov, and usually only very rich people could afford the animals. Sometimes Orlov Trotters were given as Russian state gifts to foreign officials.As the troika became widespread, the creation of special signals to regulate troika traffic became necessary as they ran at very high speeds, especially postal troikas, and there were no traffic rules at that time. Sound signals were developed to let the personnel at the next postal station know when the troika was approaching, so that they could prepare fresh trotter horses.

Peter the First tried to implement the European practice of using horns, however the coachmen preferred to send out a deafening whistle. However, this kind of warning was later banned and replaced by shaft-bow bells, which became an integral part of the famous Russia troika. The Valdai bells were particularly famous, producing a clear "singing" sound so that some even compared the Russian troika to a musical instrument. A troika was usually accompanied by about 100 bells, on the bridle, on the saddle and inside the many harness brushes. The singing of the many bells, some in minor, others in major, combined with the sound of hooves running, created a unique melody, pleasing to the ears. But troikas were also a joy for the eyes with their richly decorated harnesses and bows adorned with painting and fretwork.

With the development of railways, the troika was no longer used in postal services. It was still used during special festivities, such as weddings and also became a sport. competitions were extremely popular in Russia in the middle of the 19th century, especially during winter.The first competitions were held at the Moscow hippodrome in the 1840s. In 1911 the Russian Troika was showcased in the World Exhibition in London. However in the 1990s the interest in troikas declined to a point that even the existence of such a carriage was under threat of disappearance.Thanks to a group of enthusiasts led by Alla Polzunova, the greatest female troika racer during the Soviet era, the sport didn't die and is now making a comeback. Troika competitions have been initiated in such cities as Yaroslavl, Kostrom, Vologda and Moscow. Competitions have also been organized in France, at the event "Russian Days in France." Since 2000, Russian troikas regularly participate in the "Russian Days in France" and the "French Days in Russia" annual cultural events.The word troika (which means "threesome" in Russian) is also used to describe a trio of three individuals, such as political or historical figures.

FEDOSKINO

The term lacquer is applied not only to the special coating liquids but also to the articles so treated, whether they are made of wood, metal or paper mashe. The technique originated in Japan, China and Persia and oriental lacquer work first became known in Europe in the 16th century. By the 18th century lacquer snuffboxes decorated with miniatures and made in England, France and Germany had become fashionable. One of the greatest European centers for such items was Johann Stobwasser's manufactory in Braunschweig. In 1795 the Russian merchant Pyotr Korobov visited the Braunschweig works and his enterprising mind quickly grasped that cheap and simple articles could be mass-produced using this very durable combination of materials. Within a year he had opened his own factory on the outskirts of Fedoskino. At first it employed just over twenty people. It made most of its money from manufacturing the varnished peaks of military caps and helmets. However, the factory also became famous for its simple, most often round, snuffboxes.

The "golden age" of the Russian lacquers would begin after 1819 when the factory passed into other hands: his son-inlaw Pyotr Lukutin and the latter succeeded Korobov by his own son Alexander. The originality of the scenes depicted and the high quality of these articles made the Fedoskino masters so famous that in 1828 Lukutin was given the right to insert the Russian coat of arms and his own surname on the boxes. The most important article of production remained the snuffbox. But now it was made in a variety of shapes, symmetrical oval, and rectangular and more complex forms. The box fitted snugly in the hand and its edges were smoothly rounded. All the minor details such as the rim of the lid and the delicate frame around the miniature were finely delineated. Each of these centers follows one of the two varieties of lacquer painting, using oils or tempera. The FEDOSKINO tradition derives from Russian classical painting and miniatures of the 18th and early 19th centuries and the Russian folk arts. There three to four layers of oil paint are applied, each being dried and coated with a transparent lacquer, before the entire completed work is polished. The several layers of painting result in a tonal richness and glowing of the colors. The paints are applied in thick opaque layers and in "through-painting" with translucent paints over an under-layer of gold leaf or mother of pearl which makes the colors seem to Sparkle from within. Gold, silver and bronze powders were often employed instead of gold leaf. Such multiple layers of painting are one of the striking features of the Fedoskino miniature.

The boxes most widely sought after come from one of four small Russian villages - Palekh, Fedoskino, Kholui, and Mstera. Special schools have been established at these places where artists train for four years before they become members of each village's art community. Each village also has its unique style.

A must have for Russian collector. It will make a great gift too.

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