This original pot is painted by hand without any preliminary drawing which makes it totally unique, one-off piece of the ancient Russian folk art. An artist chooses a complicated 'background' wood painting technique representative of the distinctive Khokhloma style. 

The traditional ornate leaf and berry motif features wavy sprigs with leaves, raspberries, red berries, little flowers and curly grasses harmoniously flowing on curved surfaces of the tableware.Thin, curled strokes of the intricate brushwork are attained with a free wrist technique characteristic of the Old Russian tradition of icon and miniature painting and a fine calligraphy of illuminated manuscripts.

In order to allow a freedom of movement, the articles are held by the painter, most certainly a woman artist, on her knee. The brushes, paints, palette and other tools would be conveniently arranged on a table. The artist makes the brushes herself using hair from a squirrel tail.

In addition to the main Khokhloma colours of cinnabar and soot, the painting is enriched with light green, yellow, orange and brown. All paints are heat-resistant and oil and mineral pigments based.

The demanding 'background' technique needs a very skilful and experienced hand. The artist begins her work with painting the sprigs and outlining the contours of the bigger leaves which will acquire a famous gold colour of Khokhloma after a special treatment. A free space is filled in with a soot colour, and berries, small flowers and grasses are painted over the black background.

After the painting is complete, the Khokhloma is coated 4-5 times with a linseed lacquer which is hardened in a kiln at high temperature. The matte silver lustre of the left unpainted big leaves begins glowing burnished gold through honey coloured layers of the hardened lacquer.

A traditional manufacture of Khokhloma remains as complex, labour-intensive and time-consuming as it was almost 300 years ago - making a single piece reportedly takes up to 57 days and requires a great dedication from artists and craftsmen.

The pot was made at the 'Khokhloma Painting' (Russian: Хохломская Роспись) factory in a town of Semyonov, Nizhegorodskaya Oblast, RSFSR, USSR - one of the two centres of Khokhloma manufacturing. It dates back to 1985.

The Soviet era Khokhloma painted in a 'background' technique is highly collectable and rare to come by.

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