Features of the development of clay toys based on folk crafts in modern Russia

Lyu Tianchi Postgraduate student, Department of Art History and Pedagogy of Art, A.I. Herzen Russian State Pedagogical University 191186, Russia, g. Saint Petersburg, nab. R. Moiki, 48, korp. 6, kab. 51 138885570@qq.com

The purpose of this article is to study the artistic features of modern clay toys, which are created by Russian amateur, professional authors or creative teams in order to continue the once-existing crafts or the formation of new ones. Of interest is how the toy makers rethink the previous artistic forms, synthesize and develop them in order to create a completely new and in-demand product today. Many of the works included in the study are created on the personal initiative of the masters, and some are supported by the state or business. Naturally, this product has lost its former function of an object for children's games and fun, and, moreover, the ancient sacred semantics. Now such products function at the level of a souvenir, which is bought in connection with the desire to preserve the memory and connection with a particular place and its distinctive cultural component. Therefore, the object of the proposed study should be considered the activity of Russian toy makers of the beginning of the XXI century, and the subject is the process of existence of one of the modern directions of artistic creativity, namely, the manufacture of clay toys at the present time.

Russia is a country rich in the traditions of creating ceramics and, in particular, the products of toy makers. Large and small crafts of clay toys existed at different times in different villages and cities. They received a special heyday in the XIX century, and in the XX century the attention of researchers was again attracted to this amazing phenomenon. In Soviet Russia, a theoretical and methodological basis was formed for further research in this area. In the late 1990s - early 2000s, in some parts of the Russian Federation, the centers of creation of clay toys began to "light up" again. Of course, their scale and nature are significantly different from what was observed earlier. In some cases, these are still the works of single artists, in some cases the result of the activities of creative collectives, as a rule, associated with additional art education. Not the least role in this is played by the active assistance of the state, which focuses on the preservation of ethno-cultural diversity.

Over the past two decades, the works of authors who turn to the existence of modern crafts have been published. M.V. Krzhizhevsky ^[1] and A.B. Mulyzeva ^[2] have discovered the originality of the varieties of Samara toys. In his numerous publications, the latter author examines the problem of the author's clay toys, analyzes Samara motifs, pays special attention to the peculiarities of the formation of ornithomorphic and anthropomorphic images, as well as those that can be classified as "avant-garde". S.A. Pilyak revealed the distinctive features of whistles from Kostroma ^[3]. E.N. Gubanov explores the Voronezh clay toy ^[4]. The appearance of these studies indicates the relevance of a comprehensive analysis of the features of the artistic form of products that indicate the existence of this phenomenon associated with the national identity of the Russian people.

It is known that small-scale fishing in villages located on the territory of the modern Samara region originated at the beginning of the XVII century, and became especially widespread in the second half of the XIX century ^{[5, p. 113]}. In local museums there are a sufficient number of objects, first of all, whistles of different sizes in the form of birds, animals and very rarely people (mothers and shepherds), giving an idea of the traditions of shaping ^[6]. The following can be considered characteristic features of the products: the preservation of the yellow-gray color of clay and the "boring" of patterns using stamps of different shapes. In the 1960s, the fishery began to disappear, but at the beginning of the XXI century, its gradual revival began.

In many ways, this was facilitated by the position of the regional authorities, who in every possible way helped the masters and creative teams in this matter. So, within the framework of the sociocultural project "The Good Toy of the Saratov Land" (since 2013) attention to the problem of preserving and studying this phenomenon is being updated" ^[7]. A key role in this process was played by the master toy maker P.P. Afrikantov, who created original products based on the artistic forms and techniques of decorating the masters of the past (Fig. 1). The technology of raw material preparation, the composition of watering and paints were already lost at that time, so the master replaced them with modern ones.

Fig. 1. Afrikantov PP Clay toy. Photo. Saratov Regional Center of Folk Art named after L.A. Ruslanova. A source: https://www.socnt.ru/mastera-dpi/afrikantov-pjotr-petrovich

Another variant of the development of clay toys in the Samara region is offered by the artist L.K. Gorodetskaya. She does not seek to create products within the framework of old traditions, but creates new ones, but inspired by local culture and folklore. Images of ladies and gentlemen, children in bright outfits, chickens, bears, goats, etc. come out from under her hands (Fig. 2). L.K. Gorodetskaya makes scenes from figures, adding benches, facades of houses, trees with bright flowers. They do not feel archaic, as in the works of P.P. Afrikantov. At the same time, in terms of the softness of the molding and the smoothness of the work, they resemble Abashevsky toys, and in shape and color — Dymkovsky, but more restrained, without gold and lush folds. It is known that the source of inspiration for the master was the works of Samara carvers and, in particular, their favorite motif of the blooming mallow flower, which is often found in her products ^[8].

Fig. 2. Gorodetskaya L.K. Clay toys. Photo. The exhibition "Urban Fairy Tales" at the Samara Regional Art Museum (2021). A source: https://sgpress.ru/news/286568

The artist has been working in the field of animation for a long time, which probably influenced the desire to create objects close to the children's world. Moreover, the artistic language of toys was developed while working in the studio with children — direct recipients of products. To the question of the correspondent of "Samara news" about what is the peculiarity of Samara toys, the master answered the following: "Probably, first of all, in the personal approach. I pass every work through my heart. Each is a reflection of some moments in my life, people dear to me, the history and appearance of my beloved Samara and its heroes. Here is a blooming tree — a memory of my grandmother's cherry orchard, where I spent my childhood. Here is a lady with a baby — this is how I portrayed my youngest daughter with her grandson. I have a lot of different clay windows — in memory of the windows in my favorite Samara wooden houses — here they are, with a cat, with a geranium on the windowsill, with a kettle <...> that is interesting to me personally. I have a lot of different goats — this is a well-known symbol of Samara, a heavenly goat ..." ^[9].

The clay toy in the village of Teplovka was "born" quite recently, namely in 2000, when the creative collective "Clay Fairy Tale" was created on the basis of the House of Children's Creativity under the leadership of V.A. Fedyunina. Artists-teachers together with students continue the work of local craftsmen, which faded away in the first half of the XX century. However, due to the lack of documentary and archaeological evidence, the authors chose the path of synthesis of the features of the Dymkovsky, Kargopol and Filimonov toys. The storylines are all the same ladies and gentlemen, domestic and forest animals, birds. It is noteworthy that in the works of modern masters he feels a connection with the works of P.P. Afrikantov. This also applies to the simplicity of the form, some angularity of the figures, as well as the laconism of the design, since they retain the reddish color of the clay, slightly outlining patterns with colored lines. We also note the absence of characteristic punctures and rivets. They were replaced by an uneven surface slightly pressed to the fingers (Fig. 3).

Fig. 3. Fedyunina V.A. Clay toys. Photo (2022). A source: https://vk.com/public194185938?z=photo-168129014_457255727%2Fwall-194185938_958

It is obvious that the craftsmen from Samara and the Samara region do not seek to revive the crafts that once developed here exactly. Rather, they synthesize the most interesting features of such products from different parts of the country, which generates a wide variety of forms and decorating techniques. At the same time, it is no longer a question of preserving the previous technologies, since the masters use muffle furnaces and modern materials. The exception, perhaps, is the local clays, which serve as the basis for creative activity.

Amateur craftsmen also work in the traditions of making clay toys in the Kirov region. Researcher Ya.A. Vznuzdanov even sees in their activities signs of the revival of the fishery, which once existed in the local territories ^[10]. Special attention should be paid to the so—called "noble toy" - clay figurines and whistles from the village of Nobles. They are only partly connected with the old traditions of creating ceramics in these places, as they have a completely new and original form and decoration techniques. N.M. Kolchin gave an incentive to a new fishery. Thanks to her, figures of animals and birds, whistles, horseshoe charms, as well as angels and swans, painted in white and blue, appeared. The artist tells the following about the reason for choosing this particular color: "Blue is the color of the Virgin. On the holidays in honor of the Most Holy Theotokos in 1999, I was invited to participate in an international exhibition in Italy dedicated to the 2000th anniversary of Christianity, then I returned to the "noble" tradition of painting toys in blue and white tones and received the first prize for it. You can see eight-pointed stars on my toys. The eight-pointed star is called the star of the Virgin" ^[11]. The master connects both color and decor with the Christian faith. The proportions of her toys are elongated, like those of the Filimonov masters. However, they are more elegant and there are many neat decorative patches in them, and the painting in the form of dots and droplets is subtle and harmonious (Fig. 4).

Fig. 4. Kolchina N.A. Clay toys. Photo (2022). A source: https://vk.com/wall-189088844?z=photo-189088844_457239110%2Falbum-189088844_00%2Frev

Master I.V. Yakushkova, a student of N.A. Kolchina, works in the Kirov region. Her style of performance resembles the teacher's toys, but the young artist does not cover the figures with whitewash, but writes with white and red paint directly on the burnt brown clay ^{[10, p. 312]}. Another craftswoman L.N. Lutoshkina uses decorative elements characteristic only for her, as well as shiny paints. Variations in decoration while maintaining a similar form indicate that as such, the tradition in relation to the artistic language of noble toys has not yet been developed, but is only being formed by the works of toy makers.

Another thing happens with the Petrovsky ceramic toy from the Kostroma region. It is considered one of the most original and rather archaic crafts ^{[3, p. 498]}. P.A. Ivanov was one of the hereditary potters. It was he who in the 1970s, based on the technology of kneading, firing and decoration of clay products known to him, began to create toys. After his death, the craft was carried out by the son of the master toy maker and his students, in particular M.A. Shmarov, S.A. Pimanova, A.N. Chechulin and G.S. Tikhomirova. Through constant repetition and interpretation, the characteristic features of an already modern toy were developed ^[12]. First of all, a set of images was formed, consisting of animals and birds, as well as women, water carriers, harmonicists and balalaika. The figures stand on three supports, which gives the anthropomorphic images a fabulous look. The decor is a pit—comb ornament with a small number of rivets (Fig. 5). The surface of the toy is abundantly covered with tinted green-yellow or brown glaze, which is as close as possible to the works of masters of the past.

Fig. 5. Unknown author. Peter's toy. Photo (2017). A source: https://nkhp.ru/promyislyi/hudozhestvennaya-keramika-farfor-fayans/petrovskaya-igrushka/

An example of following old traditions is the Voronezh toy. The first products of this kind, according to archaeological research, appeared here already in the XVI — early XVII centuries ^{[4, p. 14]}. These are whistles, animal figures (horse, ram, duck), images of ladies, as well as rattles and pipes. A distinctive feature of the products were the headdresses of ladies with two curls — "seleznev curls". The hands of anthropomorphic images and the paws of animals resemble rakes with incisions. The eyes and mouths are squeezed out with a stick (Fig. 6). The painting is presented in the form of lines and their crosshairs of red, blue, green, purple and silver.

Fig. 6. Unknown author. Voronezh ladies. The beginning of the XX century. From the album by I.Ya. Boguslavskaya "Russian clay toy". A source: https://www.elibrary.ru/download/elibrary_37152547_59030282.pdf

The merit of the revival of the fishery in the second half of the XX century belonged to G.I. Arefieva. Currently, her students and followers work in different villages of the Voronezh region. In the village of Karachun, the traditions of local potters were developed by V.I. Lyamzin, forming a special pictorial language, coarser in comparison with the work of G.I. Arefieva, but at the same time lively and dynamic. A distinctive feature was the absence of painting. Instead, toys were abundantly glazed with lead watering. The case of V.I. Lyamzin is now being developed by his student G.I. Kotelnikova, as well as L.V. Dedov and L.I. Ostroverkhova. These masters develop storylines and the artistic language of their teachers. However, their modeling is more complex and accurate, and the shapes of the figures are more pronounced (Fig. 7).

Fig. 7. Kotelnikova G.I. Girl with a jug. Karachun toy. 2018. Private collection. A source: https://store.russianarts.online/collection/karachunskaya-igrushka/product/baba-s-kuvshinom-karachunskaya-igrushka

In the Arkhangelsk region, new authors are following in the footsteps of Kargopol toy makers of the XX century I.V. Druzhinin and U.I. Babkina. Some work in the cursive manner of the first master, applying patterns to the surface with quick brush strokes. Others use bright and dense colors, striving, like Ulyana Ivanovna, to "dress up" a toy ^{[28, p. 67]}. Modeling techniques do not differ from the previous ones, but the forms are more smoothed. The color of the products made up of modern dyes looks brighter and richer (Fig. 8). The traditional repertoire of such products remains untouchable: single figures in motion, pairs and "quadrilles" with harmonists.

Fig. 8. Yakovleva S.N. Deer. 2003.

Private collection. Source: Pilikina N.N. Artistic originality of the Kargopol clay toy // Society. Wednesday. Development (Terra Humana), 2010. p. 115.

The fate of the Zhbannikov clay toy from the Nizhny Novgorod region, which is considered a "little-known folk craft", is interesting and indicative ^{[13, p. 40]}. The first mention of it began in the middle of the XIX century, although the products were found in the archaeological layers of the XIII century. The masters created one type of toy, namely curly whistles on two short legs. Only the shape of the heads of horses, roosters, cows, rams, ducks and lapwings differs. The resemblance to real animals was denoted very generically. The painting was presented in the form of a tychkov ornament and multicolored stripes. Since the middle of the last century, aluminum paint has been used for tinting horns, horse manes and other small details. At the same time, out of a desire to make the toy more marketable, it was decided to synthesize zhbannik forms and Khokhloma painting as part of the activities of the factory "Khokhloma Artist" in the village of Semino (Fig. 9).

Fig. 9. Sirotkin V. Horse. Zhbannikov's toy. The 1970s.

Darwin Museum, Moscow. A source: https://sovmuseum.com/publ/sidimdoma/vse_o_remesle/tradicii_v_gline_zhbannikovskaja_gorodeckaja_igrushka/13-1-0-818

Such a free treatment of traditions did not cause a response in the hearts of people, and gradually the toy went back into the work of individual toy makers. The most famous of them is P.S. Timofeeva, the creator of the museum of Zhbannikov toys, as well as her fellow villagers. Their works are characterized by strict adherence to the canons in the modeling of the form and decoration (Fig. 10). The new thing is that they often add their life observations to the images, but absolutely without fantastic hyperbolization and kitsch.

Fig. 10. Timofeeva P.S. Zhbannikova toy. 1970-80-ies.

Museum of the History of Arts and Crafts of the Nizhny Novgorod region. A source: https://www.showbell.ru/promysly/?st=zhbannikovo

Thus, the analysis showed that the number of artistic features of modern clay toys should include the gradual loss of the former generality and archaic forms, smoother modeling of products, the use of modern technologies and materials that were not previously available to toy makers. The authors preserve the traditional figurative range of such products: animals and birds, and anthropomorphic figures presented in ancient costumes. An innovation is Christian symbolism, which is manifested in the painting of toys by a number of artists. Due to the techniques of decoration, the search for new variants of execution often takes place. So, now painted toys with spectacular contrasting color combinations prevail. Perhaps this fact is due to the fact that the products are mainly created as souvenirs. Their shape corresponds to the buyer's ideas about an old toy made of clay, but at the same time it should attract attention, which happens with the help of color. It is likely that the demand for such products, which is increasing due to the development of domestic tourism, will contribute to and influence the further creative searches of toy makers.