ПИСАНКИ КИЄВО-МЕЖИГІРСЬКОЇ ФАЯНСОВОЇ ФАБРИКИ: СПЕЦИФІКА ФАБРИКАЦІЇ, СТИЛІСТИКА, ХУДОЖНІ ОСОБЛИВОСТІ
The Faience Eggs of Kyiv-Mezhyhirska Faience Factory: the Specificity of its Fabrication, Style, Artistic Features

Summary/Abstract: The pysankus, or as they are often called in the registers of Kyiv-Mezhyhirska faience factory (KMFF), the faience eggs, at Kyiv-Mezhyhirska faience factory were first founded among the domestic thin ceramics production of industrial type. Most of them are preserved in the collection of NMUNAA dated 40th–70th of the ХІХ th century.The faience eggs are known as they were individually made in the second half of the 1820s, on occasion. For instance, in 1828 only 3 articles were fixed in price 30 kopecks a piece [8, p. 75]. The mass composition of Easter eggs was produced in the period of the 1830–1840s [4, p. 106]. In 1835 such kinds of articles were issued in two qualities (221 articles for 12 kop. for the first quality and 32 articles for 10 kop. for the second one), including the printed ones (150 art.). In 1838 they produced 170 units of Easter eggs in price 4,5 kop., 10 articles –15 kop. [10]. In 1841 the Kyiv shops were selling Mezhyhirsky faience eggs for 7 and 6 kop. [9, pap. ІІ, 73-74].At that time there were respectively 46 and 116 printed units, of which only a third part was sold within a year. Probably the demand for such works was weakened, and after 1841 the ready goods were missing in the registers of the factories. However, the faience eggs of KMFF were dated according to the museum books of the introduction NMUNAA in the broader period – until 1870 [4, p. 107]. Perhaps that is due to the time of monograms of Emperor Alexander II, who ruled from 1855 until the closure of the factory (the age of tenants Grygorovych-Barsky, Shyshkov, Govorova).Faina Petriakova found on two faience eggs the monograms of the artist Dmitriy Stepanov [4, p. 108]. Now the mentioned artifacts were not found in the Ukrainian museum collections.The faience eggs with a plot similar to the largest icons of the company were widely used at KMFF. They were made in both one- and poly-chromatic variants. Such composition of a coffin with the closed lid was called "Resurrection", with an open lid – "Ascension". In some cases the artists of KMFF while in the design of faience eggs approached the filigree decoration of high faience masters.The sophisticated miniatures on the faience Easter eggs were made by in one or more colors printing (mostly black and brown, gray, blue, brown colors of the fundamental tone were used) combined with a manual work painting, in rare cases in the combination with gold. The style of the sacred faience eggs was common to the similar works in the same group of lamps, crosses, Eucharist cups. The motif of vines and bunches of grapes – a symbol of the Passion was frequently used. (All – col. NMUNAA).In the patterns of the faience eggs, except 5- and 8-end stars, branches, spring shoots flower covering, we can find the use of embroidery motifs, painted pub utensils, chests, while "styled" in some way to the ancient palmettes, acanthus, solar composition.On eggs from the collection NMUNDM we can found "all-seeing eye", crosses, signs of reducing titles that is can be explained who "fixed" the convex part. The luster, sometimes used in the lamps and Eucharist cups, was used for decorating the faience eggs.The faience eggs of Kyiv-Mezhyhirska faience factory is rather striking phenomenon of the national culture of the ХІХ th century. The range of products was seized at this plant in about 1825 and produced until the last period of the factory – 1850. The eggs were manufactured in different size (at least three varieties), often fastened to their church lamps on Easter holidays. The price of these products varied from 4.5 kop. to 30 kop. a piece.The faience eggs of Mezhyhirya were decorated with ornamental and plot (on religious themes) painting and printing. The products in that segment varied by style. We can see the Easter eggs decorated in the style of traditions and enough sophisticated works by its techniques. Among the artists who left their monograms on the products of that group was Dmitry Stepanov, a known engraver.Some neat faince eggs were decorated with elegant monograms, stamp compositions, inscriptions, monograms. In addition to techniques and polychrome-color printing, the faience eggs of Kyiv-Mezhyhirya in some cases were decorated pat -sur-pat, gilding, cobalt. Among the most respected religious scenes are especially known "The Crucifixion of Prestanding", "Ascension", "Resurrection", the images of saints and the Holy Spirit with the characters, "Cup", "Golgotha", "Christ Almighty", "Diva Mary on Crescents", "Savior", "The Crucifixion", "Seeing Eye", "Passion Cross", "Saint Nicholas", often with additions of the moon, stars, flower motifs etc. the faience eggs with lamps, crosses, Eucharist cups, icons of Kyiv Mezhyhirya make a single image of system group.

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