Painting of Russian clay toys. Acquaintance with the folk clay toy - abstract. Folk clay toy: differences in origin and manufacturing method

Russian folk toy is an important ethnic element and a monument of the traditional culture of the Russian people. It is a synthetic form of folk art, which combines the means of decorative and applied arts, and musical elements. The toy is also a traditional element of parenting. Children learn about the world and socialize in society through play. Traditional folk toys vary in type, material and manufacturing method. In addition, there is a relationship between folk toys and different types of economic activities of people, tools and religious beliefs. The folk toy was an important element in the socialization and upbringing of children.

Russian folk toys are attractive for their ambiguity, depth, symbolism of the image, decorativeness, laconism, a sense of the material and its natural properties, traditional technological methods, convention of images and many others. Folk toys depict people, fauna objects: birds, deer and elk, bears, horses, goats and other animals. Russian traditional toys are made mainly of clay, wood, straw and birch bark.

Dymkovo Russian folk toy "Vodonoska"

Russian folk toys have different symbols. For example, a toy in the shape of a sun, a rocking horse, a swing is a symbol of well-being. A toy in the shape of an egg, a rooster - a symbol of the sky. The deer symbolizes sunshine, peace on earth and a happy marriage. The bear is a symbol of strength and wealth.

Russian folk toy made of clay and wood

Over the centuries, the inhabitants of a certain region have created and passed on from generation to generation the original traditions of making a folk toy, which was peculiar, original and combined the national characteristics of a certain region of Russia. By the external features of the Russian folk toy, it was possible to understand in which particular area it was made.

Bogorodsk Russian folk toy made of wood

As mentioned above, toys were mainly made of two materials: clay (Abashevskaya, Dymkovskaya, Kargopolskaya, Pleshkovskaya and Filimonovskaya toys) and wood (Bogorodskaya Mazykskaya toy, matryoshka, bird of happiness).

Abashevskaya Russian folk toy is made of clay. Its name comes from the village of Abashevo, Penza province. In the XIX-XX centuries. in the village of Abashevo lived the best masters of pottery, whose works were appreciated throughout Russia. In the Penza province, in the village of Abashevo, there were rich deposits of clay, which was originally used to make beautiful dishes. For the first time, Abashev toys began to be made in the middle of the 19th century for children's games. But after a while, toys began to be given a satirical character, in order to ridicule liars and those who profit from their neighbors.

The peak of the development of the Abashev toy fell on the XX century, when many craftsmen in the manufacture of dishes from clay could no longer compete with factories and plants. It was during this period that most of the craftsmen started making whistles, which aroused genuine interest and even delight among children. One of the famous masters of that period was Timofey Zotkin... His work has had a significant impact on subsequent generations.

The plots of the Abashev toy are varied, among the main ones are animals and birds, the main feature of which is an overly long body with a neck and short legs. The animals were often depicted with lush curls and beards. Basically, they sculpted sheep, deer, goats. In appearance, they resemble fantastic centaurs, which are inherent in some satiricality. The Abashev toy is designed to ridicule human vices, especially avarice and deceit. That is why, along with the unusual figures of animals, you can see an elegant young lady, a dashing horseman and a prince in the form of a ram with a human face.

When making a toy, the master uses clay and several stacks, with the help of which he forms a figure, makes holes and patterns. After the product is fired and painted. To paint the Abashev toy, the craftsmen used oil and enamel paints, which ensured the durability and richness of the drawings. The theme of the painting is, first of all, nature and the surrounding world, not devoid of symbolism. Red, green and blue colors prevail in the Abashev toy.

The Dymkovo Russian folk toy, which is also made of clay, is widely known to this day. The Dymkovo toy has been made for more than one century. Such a toy was made in the Dymkovo settlement, located near the city of Kirov. Craftsmen worked in the Dymkovo settlement alone and with families. By the beginning of the 19th century, toys from Dymkovo spread throughout Russia.

In those days, more than 100 thousand toys were made a year, which were sold, including in the capital and in the Orenburg province. 59 families from Dymkovo worked on their creation. The most famous craftsmen were Cats and Nikulin... At the beginning of the 20th century, Dymkovo toys lost their former popularity, although already in the 1930s, Dymkovo craft began to revive in Kirov. The Dymkovo toy is traditionally made in the form of a lady, horsemen, hussars, fantastic birds and animals, and there are also multi-figured plot compositions.

The process of making a Dymkovo toy consists of two stages: sculpting the product and painting it. In the creation of the form of the toy and in the design, there are traditions of their own, which are expressed primarily in the static, splendor of forms and the brightness of the painting. For example, in the composition "Mother with Children" the figure of a woman looks straight ahead, she seems to have frozen in this position. The same static is present in toys depicting birds and animals.

The following images of Dymkovo toys are especially popular.:

The turkey is colorful like a peacock.
The lady is both an elegant city personage and a traditional peasant woman in a kokoshnik. Children can be depicted next to her.
Lamb - figurines of this animal can have different sizes of horns. Note that they are always gilded. Barashkov is portrayed as ordinary or in smart clothes.
Horse - traditionally in bright blue colors.
Men in the Dymkovo toy are most often depicted as a rider on a horse, a walking city or village gentleman.
Pigs, birds, bells. They are depicted in different variations and colors.

For the manufacture of Dymkovo toys, Vyatka red clay and river sand are used. Each part of the toy is created separately: a body is molded from a round piece of clay, onto which the rest of the toy is attached. Then the product is dried in the open air for several days. Then it is fired over a fire. In Russia, a stove was used for this. Today it is a muffle furnace, where the temperature reaches 1000 ° C. When the figurine cools down, it is subjected to bleaching. In Russia, milk was also used for this.

The next step is painting. In ancient years, natural dyes based on eggs, milk, soot, vinegar, tempera were used for this. Acrylic paints are most often used these days. Birds' tails, animal horns, people's clothing are covered with copper leaf (thin foil). The Dymkovo toy is characterized by the use of red, blue, yellow, emerald, blue, green and orange colors. White and black paint is used in small quantities. Each color the toy is painted with has its own meaning: white is a symbol of purity; black - lies; green - nature; red - strength, health; blue - the sky.

The patterns used in painting Dymkovo toys are closely related to folk beliefs, symbols of nature. For example, the sun and the moon are a symbol of the origin of life; rhombuses - a sign of fertility; waves are a sign of the sky and moisture. The final moment of the painting is the application of gold leaf. Currently, the Dymkovo toy is developing, new technologies appear, fresh ideas appear, but the manufacturing traditions remain unchanged.

The clay Kargopol toy is known throughout Russia and abroad. The name of the product comes from the ancient city of Kargopol in the Arkhangelsk province, which in the old days was one of the centers of the Old Believers. It is known that the inhabitants of this city and its environs have long been engaged in pottery and made a traditional toy.

Compared to the brightly colored Dymkovo and Filimonov toys, the Kargopol toy looks harsh. It is characterized by a multi-figured composition (funny triplets with riders in a sleigh, dancing figures, boating, fairy tales, and more). All figurines are a little squat, with short arms and legs, an elongated body, a thick and short neck, and a relatively large head. It is interesting that animals are depicted with thick paws.

The Kargopol toy is characterized by a village theme. The heroes of local craftsmen are ordinary Russian people working in the fields, plowmen and sowers who rest during lunch, women who wash clothes and babysit children. Often, masters created not only existing, but also fictional animals. For example, a half-horse, half-man, who is depicted in military uniform with orders; a two-headed horse or the Sirin bird.

Kargopol craftsmen humanized real animals, that is, they painted clothes, household items, musical instruments for them. They depicted bears, moose, rams, horses, cats, dogs, birds. Women were portrayed in long sundresses, their hair was braided, beads were drawn around their necks, and a bundle with a baby or a dish of food was placed in their hands. The man was portrayed necessarily with a thick beard, in a painted shirt, loose trousers and high boots with a small heel. A hat or hat is worn to protect from the sun.

Each toy has its own symbolism, hidden meaning. The woman is a symbol of the Earth, fertility, and the breadwinner. A bear is a symbol of the owner of the forest, a deer or a ram is a symbol of the sky and the sun. The Kargopol toy was made from a single piece of clay, sometimes additional elements were added. After firing, the figurine was placed in a thick flour solution. Due to the burnt flour, bizarre dark patterns appeared on the surface, which were later covered with paints. This technology gave the figure relief and volume. The most popular colors for painting were red, green, yellow and blue.

A toy was always decorated with a pattern: in the images of people it was an ornament on clothes, and horns or limbs were decorated with animals. The pattern was simple and uncomplicated: wavy lines, geometric shapes and flowers. In addition, the images on the toy of the sun, sky, moon, fire, earth and water served as a pattern.

Toys from Pleshkovo are molded from a mixture of clay and mica. After firing the toy, mica inclusions give the product an additional silvery shine and sparkles over the entire surface. Burnt whistles have a porous structure and a pink tint. Craftsmen paint the clay in a free manner and distribute the natural paint in spots. Initially, in the manufacture of Pleshkovo toys, paint was not used at all, but more modern craftsmen grind a brick to fully cover the whistle and mix it with squeeze from burdock or hemp. Previously, it was enough to find the required amount of local golden clay and draw 2-3 stripes along the figure.

The name of the toy comes from the village of Pleshkovo, Oryol province. The toys are simple and concise. The main colors of the Pleshkovo toy are blue, red, green. When dyeing the product, natural dyes were used - elderberry and burdock juice, which were applied to the surface of the figurine in the form of specks. The plots of the Pleshkovo toys are different: animals (horses, rams, cows, deer, roosters), birds (ducks), people (soldiers, ladies), fantastic creatures (mermaids, birds - sirin).

The theme of peasant life was also widespread. For example, a very popular image for a clay figurine is a woman with a baby on her left hand. Among the livestock, most often depicted are cows, roosters, rams, horses.

Nowadays, Pleshkovo bells-whistles are created using traditional technology and ancient Russian mythical symbols, for example, mermaids.

Filimonovskaya Russian folk toy

Filimonovskaya Russian folk toy also belongs to clay. The toy was made in the village of Filimonovo, Odoyevsky district, Tula province. This village is located near the deposits of good white clay. According to legend, a certain old man lived in this area. Philemon who made toys. Filimonovskaya traditional toy is made in the form of a lady, a peasant woman, a soldier, a dancing couple, as well as in the form of animals, for example, cows, rams, foxes, roosters and fantastic forest creatures.

By the middle of the 19th century, the Filimonov craft became widely known outside the Tula province. The Russian people loved bright, distinctive clay figurines, bought them at fairs and gave them to children. At this time, almost all residents of the Filimonovo village lived off pottery. But at the beginning of the twentieth century, the craft lost its former popularity. People began to look for new ways of earning money, craftsmen began to lose their skills, therefore, the number of craftsmen and craftswomen was significantly reduced. There were three women in the village who did not lose the art of modeling and continued to make toys. Production more or less improved in the 1950s, when interest in Filimonov's toys began to revive among the people. In the 1980s, the Filimonov toy regained its former popularity and reached new heights, thanks to a creative group consisting of graduates of the art and industrial lyceum.

Most Filimonov toys are used as whistles. There are also local features of the image of the toy. For example, a lady is always molded in a long skirt, in the shape of a bell, with a hat on her head. A man is portrayed in a uniform with shoulder straps, a cap with a visor and boots with a small heel. Animals are depicted with a thin waist and a long graceful neck. Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish animals from each other, and only the color of the figure or certain features helps in this. A horse is molded with medium-sized brown ears, a ram - with round horns, and a cow - with a crescent-shaped horn.

In general, the Filimonov toy differs from others in its elongated shape and elongated proportions. This is dictated by the peculiarities of the area, since in the Tula region there are rich deposits of oily clay, it is well suited for shaping, however, when dried, it significantly settles and cracks. The craftsmen repeatedly straighten the figure, stretch it to hide uneven contours and cracks.

They paint the Filimonov toy sparsely. The colors are mainly yellow, red and green, and sometimes blue and purple. However, the painting takes place in a certain order: initially, yellow spots are painted, then they are outlined in red or patterns are drawn, and then they are supplemented with green. They begin to paint with patterns from the center, using a smooth transition to the edges of the product. It should be noted that the patterns are very simple and uncomplicated: stripes, herringbones, geometric shapes and stars. When painting Filimonov toys, floral ornament predominates: leaves, sun, branches, berries and flowers.

Russian folk toy made of wood.Bogorodsk toy

Bogorodskaya Russian traditional toy comes from the village of Bogorodskoye, Moscow province. The toy is made of wood, mainly of linden. Before making a toy, linden must dry for two years. Wood chips are used to make toy stands. Bogorodsk toys are rarely decorated or painted. The surface of finished figurines in Russia was smoothed with sandpaper. Next, the toys are finished with carvings, which rhythmically lay on the surface and decorate the product. Traditionally, some parts of the toy were made movable. Some of the toys were mounted on stands, bedside tables, and a spring was inserted inside - it set the figure in action.

Other toys were made on planks ("Herd", "Cavalry", "Soldiers"). There are toys, the movable parts of which are attached to threads with a load; the load sways, pulls the thread along with it, it activates parts of the figures. The plots of the Bogorodskaya toys are varied - they are the heroes of fairy tales and fables.

Mazyk Russian folk toy

Wooden Mazyk Russian folk toy is very rare. It was made for relatives - children, wives, parents, etc. In Russia, the Mazyk toy was called "Bolvashka", "tararushka", "wood chips". The type of carving that is done for the toy has survived in the midst of Mazyks, part of the ofen community, peddlers who lived in the former Vladimir province - hence the name of the product. The subjects of the Mazyk toy are diverse: people, animals, birds.

The main feature of toy production is the use of only an ax; other tools are used extremely rarely. The toy is made of pine, aspen or linden. Traditionally, it is also made from a polesh with protruding knots. These knots are used in a product, they can turn into a tail or a beak, or they can become fins in a pike.

The Russian nesting doll is known and loved all over the world. The homeland of the matryoshka is the city of Sergiev Posad, where a wooden lady was first made, from which, when opened, similar female figures of different sizes appeared. The invention of the Russian nesting doll dates back relatively recently - the end of the 19th century. During this period, the famous turner V.P. Zvezdochkin, who was engaged in the manufacture of wooden toys, at the request of the artist S.V. Malyutin made a blank out of wood, into which I put in the same drop-down blanks, but different in size.

The subject for the painting of the very first toy was the everyday affairs of Russian beauties. The matryoshka consisted of 8 wooden dolls. Later, the number of dolls varied and even reached 48 wooden ladies. Nesting dolls were produced in the artel S.I. Mamontova in Sergiev Posad. Russian nesting dolls were exhibited at exhibitions in Paris. This amazing toy attracted the attention of foreigners who began to place orders for Russian craftsmen.

Russian nesting doll

Mostly nesting dolls were distributed, which consisted of 3, 8 and 12 dolls. The more dolls there were, the more valuable the matryoshka became. The main plot of the nesting dolls was everyday life. Most often, the homework of the ladies was depicted. The girls were portrayed in traditional outfits and always in a headscarf. The girls were holding harvest sickles, jugs of milk, baskets of berries in their hands. Later, other subjects began to be depicted on nesting dolls, for example, characters from fairy tales and fables, heroes of stories by famous writers.

Once they tried to change the shape of nesting dolls, for example, cone-shaped dolls appeared, which were inserted into one another. But this form was not popular among the people, so the masters returned to the old one.

Matryoshkas also differed in painting. Currently, the following types of painting are distinguished:

Zagorsk (bright, saturated colors and many small, clearly traced elements);
Merinovskie (large flowers);
Semenovskie (strict symmetrical painting);
Polkhovsky (image of wild rose flowers);
Vyatsky (young lady-northerner).

For the manufacture of nesting dolls, linden is used, which, after staining, is covered with a transparent oil-based varnish. First, the master grinds out the smallest solid figure. Then he makes the bottom of the next figure. After processing, this element dries well, and only then adjusts the upper part of the figure. According to this scheme, all the components of the matryoshka are procured. Dried parts must be treated with starch glue, which serves as the basis for painting. After the product is dry, they start painting the nesting dolls.

First, the master paints the face. The head of the matryoshka is depicted covered with a scarf, which is painted in traditional Russian ornaments. Of the clothes, the sundress is most often depicted, sometimes it is complemented by an apron. The figurine is decorated with floral ornaments. After the paint has dried, a finishing layer is applied, which protects the matryoshka from moisture and chips.

Fedoseevskaya Russian folk toy was made in the village of Fedoseevo, Nizhny Novgorod province. At the end of the 19th century in the Nizhny Novgorod Territory, the toy business developed everywhere. A craftsman lived in Fedoseevo Yakov Alexandrovich Alexandrov, who made movable toys from chips and boards.

Toys are made with a knife and an ax, using wood chips and planks. Slivers and planks are hammered together with carnations and painted with simple patterns. Initially, toys were painted with a goose feather. Later, they began to dip the product entirely in yellow paint, getting a sunny background, and then apply flowers.

The main plot of Fedoseev's toys is horses. They also carved doll furniture, cars, boats, merry-go-rounds, sledges, airplanes, trams, multi-storey steamers. By the 1930s, Fedoseev's toys began to be produced on an industrial basis in the city of Semyonov. In 1948, the Fedoseevskaya artel of toy makers was joined to the Semyonov cooperative.

The main colors of Fedoseyev's toys are yellow and red. In the 1950s, fishing began to lose its former popularity. Currently master N. S. Muraviev revives the toy craft.

The Bird of Happiness is a toy made of wood using a special technique. It comes from the Arkhangelsk province. Initially, the toy was called "Pomeranian dove". In the middle of the 20th century, the art of making this toy was practically lost. The master began to revive the craft Martyn Filippovich Fatyanov from the village of Selishche, Leshukonsky District, Arkhangelsk Region. The bird of happiness was usually hung from the ceiling in the front corner of the village front room, where there was a table with benches. When a boiling samovar was placed on the table, the carved bird, obeying the currents of hot air, slowly and solemnly began to rotate around its axis.

Famous explorer-ethnographer S.V. Maximov reports that in the 19th century, a wood chip bird suspended from the ceiling was an obligatory attribute of a Pomor house. He mentions that such doves were made by Pomor Old Believers in their sketes, as well as Murmansk industrialists:

Here are the same doves made of sprinkles - the leisure of skillful wanderers, attached to the ceiling for the sake of decoration.

MM. Prishvin in his story "On Maymaks" he mentions a bird, describing an old Pomor man:

Otherwise, I'll take a picture of him, and he will hang a portrait in a "clean" room over a table with a clean tablecloth. The Monks Zosima and Savvaty will look at him from the corner, and from the ceiling - a little dove carved from wood and painted in blue paint - like the Holy Spirit.

From the above quote it follows that such a dove was personified with the Holy Spirit. But these are not national symbols, since in the Gospel the dove also personifies the Holy Spirit. In the 1920s, the ethnographer Nina Hagen-Thorn in the story "The Way to the North" he mentions a bird:

I stopped in amazement, the wide window shone with an azure platband. Behind it glittered the silver ocean distances, and against their background a carved boat, hung on a string to the window frame, swayed. It was so skillfully carved and equipped that it seemed to float here from the ocean, miraculously not enlarging, and hung on the window. Birds, cut from thin shavings, swayed on the sides of it on the same laces. One, spreading her multicolored tail, turned her head towards the sea; the other, with a girlish face and a high crown, looked into the room, her bright blue wings folded across her chest.

Birds of happiness were made from two solid bars, chips, without the use of glue and fasteners. The opposite ends of one block are thinly sliced along. The very tips are cut figuratively. On the second bar, the bird's head is cut from one end, and longitudinal cuts for the tail are cut from the other. In the middle of each of the two bars, cutouts are made for subsequent connection. They are connected so that a cross is formed. The ends of the chips are split in a special way, like a fan. The result is wings and a tail. Chip feathers are sometimes held together with threads.

The bird is usually made from Karelian pine, spruce, fir or Siberian cedar. Initially, the product is light, but over time the wood acquires a golden hue. In the old days in Russia, it was not customary to paint doves. These days, including painted birds, have become popular.

Clay is a wonderful natural material that is ideal for children's creativity. Every child is sincerely happy when a bright colorful toy is born from a small gray lump. Present your children with a clay toy painting workshop and you will leave them with an unforgettable holiday experience.

Who is the master class suitable for?

The clay toy painting workshop is suitable for children of all ages. This is not only fun but also rewarding. Modeling develops spatial thinking in a child, teaches him visual literacy, and painting helps to feel the wide possibilities of playing colors.

You can order a master class on painting clay toys:

for birthday,
a holiday at school or kindergarten,
New Year or Christmas
graduation or creative class hour.

How is the master class held?

During the master class, our experienced craftsmen:

They will tell children about the types of painting of clay toys;
Demonstrate vivid ready-made examples of work;
They will reveal the secrets of painting clay toys;
They will tell you how to use paints correctly;
They will supervise the process of work and help everyone create their own original painted toy.

You don't have to worry about the course of the event, because we took care of everything for you! The cost of a toy painting workshop includes:

clay toys,
paints and other consumables,
all the necessary equipment,
disposable gloves and aprons.

All you need to do is provide ample space for participants, the required number of chairs and tables, and free access to water. Each of the children will leave the holiday with good practical experience in creating their own toys, vivid impressions and an excellent souvenir.

5 reasons to order this master class

Russian folk toys are distinguished by their imagery, colorfulness and originality. Due to their laconic content, they are characterized by accessibility for children's perception. Made of natural materials (clay, wood, ceramics, straw) they represent various fairy-tale characters, figurines and images of people and animals.

Each nationality living in a certain region of our country, for many centuries, has created and passed on from generation to generation unique traditions of creating a folk toy, distinguished by its originality, originality and combining the national characteristics of each individual region of Russia. It is from the toy that you can determine in which particular area it was made. Where there were rich deposits of clay, amazing clay figures of animals and people were created, in regions rich in wood, craftsmen made toys from wood.

The main toys of Russian folk craft:

Abashevskaya clay toy

The toy made of clay is named after its historical homeland - the village of Abasheva, Penza province, which was famous for its pottery and, along with earthenware, traded clay toys that were in great demand. Most of the population were Old Believers, so their beliefs were reflected in toys-whistles, the visiting card of the Abashev toy is a figurine of a deer with huge antlers that seem to be leaning against the sky, which was considered a symbol of abundance and prosperity. Most of the toys were figurines of animals, which were symbols of various aspects of human life among the ancient Slavs: birds symbolized happiness and good luck, horses - the sun, bears - strength, power and power, rams and cows - fertility. A distinctive feature of this toy is an elongated body shape, short, widely spaced legs, very long, thick necks and a small head, well-defined facial features and hairstyles of people.

Dymkovo clay toy

The toy bears the name of the settlement of the same name Dymkovo, which is located near the city of Kirov. Everyone is well aware of the colorful, magnificently decorated and painted figurines of young ladies, goats, cockerels with bright, bushy tails, horses, piglets, bears and whistle ducks. In the village of Dymkovo, there were whole families of craftsmen who dug clay, mixed it with sand, thoroughly kneaded, sculpted figures, burned them in Russian ovens, and then painted them by hand with bright colors, and both women and children took part in the manufacturing process. The Dymkovo toy is distinguished by its special specificity, it is static, has curvaceous shapes and bright colors, has a special cheerful energy and subtle humor that attracts the attention of children who love to look at them and listen to entertaining stories about their creation.

Bogorodsk wooden toy

The toy was created by the talented hands of the masters of the village of Bogorodskoye in the Moscow region, these are playful, intricate and mobile figurines of chickens skillfully carved from wood, which enthusiastically peck at grains, bears beating on an anvil, various plot and genre compositions. The main material for toys is carefully dried linden and its waste in the form of chips; most often, products made from it were not stained. The expressive texture of the wood allowed the craftsmen to combine in toys both a smooth surface and small notches and notches that convey some subtleties and nuances of various details. Children like not only to look at them, but also to set in motion the mechanical springs hidden inside them, forcing the brave soldiers to march, and the good-natured bear to do hard physical labor.

Filimonovskaya clay toy

In the Tula region in the village of Filimonovo, amazing clay toys were made, which received the same name of Filimonovo. Here there were deposits of plastic and high-quality white clay, from which, according to legend, a local old-timer, grandfather Philemon, sculpted his funny, bizarre and unlike other figurines-whistles of animals and people. Toys are distinguished by a special shape: short legs, elongated bodies and long necks with a small head, the plots are traditional - ladies and soldiers, various compositions (tea drinking, flirting, troika), rams and cockerels, cows and horses, and sometimes even absolutely fantastic creatures, which are difficult to attribute to any existing species. These toys are painted with bright, rich colors, among which crimson, bright yellow, green, orange, blue and white prevail, they were often applied in stripes in a variety of combinations, and the face was always pure white with barely outlined contours of the eyes and lips.

A small town near Arkhangelsk called Kargapol gave the name to the famous Kargapol toys, which were made here by talented masters of pottery from baked clay, depicting various figurines of animals and people. They differ in some severity of images, due to the use of exclusively natural dyes (soot, chalk, lime, varieties of colored clay, various minerals) in dark, saturated colors: brown, beige, dark green and even black. These toys were figurines of fairytale heroes, birds, dogs, bears, stocky peasants with a shovel beard or large women with newborns in their arms.

Pleshkovskaya toy whistle

Another famous Russian craft that originated in the village of Pleshkovo, Oryol province, is Pleshkovo toys. These are various clay whistles made from local deposits of clay, which acquired an interesting pinkish hue during firing. The toys were distinguished by their simplicity and brevity, painted in blue, red and green colors of natural origin (elderberry and burdock juice, broken brick), which were applied to the surface in the form of randomly scattered spots. These were figures of various animals (horses, rams, cows, deer, roosters, ducks), people (soldiers, ladies), and fantastic creatures (mermaids, Sirin birds). A typical image of the Pleshkovo toy is a figurine of a woman holding a baby with her left hand.

Clay toys have been part of the crafts and life of the people for many centuries. In Russia, they were very popular among both the rich and the poor. Their production has always belonged to the traditional field of folk art, embodying the work of craftsmen, beauty, demonstrating the history and way of life.

Ancient clay crafts

Clay items in the form of dishes and toys are constantly found by archaeologists during excavations of ancient cities and burials. Making them has never been the main craft for potters, but, most likely, took place in between work on household items, for fun or for their children. Later, clay toys were already sold and made specifically in preparation for fairs.

The most ancient such crafts were found on the island of Crete, in Egypt, among the Aztec Indians. These were figurines of bulls, carts with round wheels (which in reality these tribes did not use), ceramic dolls with moving articulated arms, clay gods and idols.

The history of Russian clay toys

The first such figurines found on the territory of Russia date back to the 2nd millennium BC, the Bronze Age. These are small copies of dishes, clay hatchets, rattles, animal-shaped whistles. The process of their manufacture consisted of molding and firing; often ancient craftsmen decorated the figurines with painting or glaze.

The production of clay whistles and toys reached its peak in the 17th and 18th centuries. Wealthy families could order more expensive items. It is known that Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and Empress Catherine the First bought toys for the royal family at the Moscow for Sale fair, as there are entries in the book of expenses. These were figurines of cows, deer, rams, swans, roosters, ducks, children, and even a whole city with soldiers.

In the 18-19th centuries. painted clay toys have already become available and were in great demand among ordinary people. It was then that the centers for the production of such products that have survived to our time were formed in Dymkovo, Abashevo, Kargopol, Filimonovo, Skopin, etc.

The production of clay toys in Russia is closely connected with other artistic crafts: pottery, carving and painting of products made of wood, stone and metal, with the art of embroidery and lace making. They use general pictorial principles and techniques for constructing decorative finishes, artistic motives.

Mythological and folklore meaning

The folk clay toy in Russia has both mythological and folklore and musical significance. Most of the popular products, including whistles and rattles (rattles), are sound. They have long been used when performing ritual actions, when holding national holidays: at first pagan, later - Christian.

So, each animal figurine is a symbol and carries a certain meaning:

ram and cow - successful farming, fertility;
birds are the personification of the souls of ancestors, symbolize happiness and joy;
the horse has been considered the main amulet since ancient times;
the bear symbolizes power and strength;
deer - amulet that brings abundance;
the goat is a symbol of good power.

Ancient clay toys were used not only for children's fun, but also as ritual pieces. Whistles were used during an ancient rite to drive out evil forces and diseases during a pagan holiday called the Whistle. As a decorative home decoration, clay figurines were often placed on windows, in prominent places on a dresser or shelves in a room.

The difference between toys by regions of Russia

All regional features of toys in Russia are inimitable and unique: the Dymkovo toy cannot be confused with the Kargopol or Filimonov toys. Each master had his own manner of sculpting, extraordinary style, original shapes, colors and decorations of products.

Also, toys differ in the composition of the clay from which they are molded: figures are best molded from oily clay. Each variety of such products has its own traditional shapes and colors, which often depend on the type of clay used in a given area and its plastic properties.

Such products allow us to look into the distant past of our grandparents, into the history of Russian culture and our own childhood. Peasant village toys captivate with their hand-made, compassionate nature, illustrating paternal care and affectionate maternal care. Skillful hands and good taste of the toy master are the property of this craft, contribute to the mutual development and enrichment of the language and expressive presentation, preserve the experience and developments of previous generations.

Dymkovo clay toys

The folk craft of Dymkovo painting of tableware and toys originated in the 15th century in the Dymkovo settlement near the town of Vyatka, which is where the name comes from. All figures and paintings are made only by hand, and therefore are unique. Previously, clay figurines were painted with a mixture of dry aniline paints with an egg, vinegar or sour kvass.

The main forms of Dymkovo toys: clay products, hollow inside, depicting young ladies and gentlemen, horses and bears, roosters and turkeys and other animals. The finished clay figure was first covered with a mixture of milk and chalk, and then over with paints. The main elements of the painting: geometric shapes, zigzags, stripes and circles, wavy lines, dots, spots, cells.

When applying patterns, bright contrasting colors were used: green, red, blue, yellow, light blue, crimson, black and white, as well as gilding. Each figurine usually used about 10 colors without midtones and shades.

Modern masters of Dymkovo clay toys use gouache with an egg for coloring, and at the painting factory they make them with tempera paints.

According to tradition, each era can be identified by a certain ornament, each of which symbolizes something:

blue wavy stripes - water;
crossed stripes - well;
a circle with an asterisk inside - the sun and other celestial bodies, etc.

The Dymkovo Vyatka toy has been considered a folk sculpture for many years, and each work is an author's work, made by a master of hand sculpting and painting, presented in a single copy. Its trademark is bright color and elegance, which are complemented by pieces of gold leaf, which always makes a festive impression.

The name comes from the location of the city of Kargopol and adjacent villages in the Arkhangelsk region. The art of clay crafts in this region was almost lost, and only a few samples survived, thanks to U. Babkina. She became an associate who was able to revive the disappeared type of craft.

The difference between the Kargopol clay toy is its archaic appearance, which is well recognizable by its style, painting and type.

old solitary animals and people: Polkan (a man with the body of a horse), Bereginya (holding doves in her hands), a woman-mother as the personification of the life-giving power of the earth and the sun, her favorite image is the figure of "Bobka";
plot multi-figure compositions that demonstrate a rural lifestyle or fairy tales: "A Girl Washes", "Fishermen", "Three Horses", etc.

The Kargopol toy is a whitewashed clay figurine, which is painted in various colors by simple painting, there are very few details.

Basic ornaments: geometric shapes, strokes, stripes, dots, oblique crosses. Colors: black, green, ocher, brown, brick red and blue, rarely silver and gold are added.

Filimonovskaya toy

The craft of clay toys appeared in the middle of the 16th century. in the Tula region in the Odoyevsky district, where local potters were engaged in the manufacture of dishes, stove pipes and household utensils. Local clay was used for the production, which after firing became light terracotta. While the men were working on serious work, women and children sculpted toys using the plastic clay called “blue blue”, which then turned white. The last craftswomen who were able to restore this production lived in the village of Filimonovo, for which the name was given to it.

In the 20th century. this production continued, supplemented not only with single figures of people and animals, but also with multi-figure compositions, which were successfully bought by homeowners for admiration and collectors.

people: ladies, soldiers, horsemen, accordion player, etc .;
animals: dog, cat, fox, deer, horse, cow;
birds: peacock, rooster, hen and duck;
compositions (more than 50 in total): troika, tea party, carousel, George with a snake, on a bench, etc.

The stylistic features include: elongated proportions (long necks) and a 3-color ornament depicting geometric shapes. Painting is done with aniline paints on varnish. The ornament is dominated by red and green stripes, the sun, herringbones, lattices, which are applied on a white or yellow background.

Abashevskaya toy

The name comes from the village of Abashevo, which in the 19-20th centuries. became one of the leading centers of pottery in Russia. Most of its inhabitants were Old Believers, which influenced the religious motives in the products of the craftsmen who made the "Dudki". One of the most popular motifs is a deer with golden antlers in the shape of a ladder, which in mythology means “the way to God”. A distinctive feature of such crafts is the satirical nature of some of the products, their plastic expressiveness, and a departure from naturalism. The main motives: pets, fools-ladies, policeman, officer, etc.

Artistic craft and the manufacture of clay toys arose in the Spassky district of the Penza region in the middle of the 19th century. based on pottery production. Initially, all the dishes were black, but then the Abashev masters learned to cover them with green glaze. Toys were made in 12 farms by handicraftsmen, each of whom not only followed historical patterns, but also came up with their own original works: whistles in the form of birds and animals, as well as figures of young ladies, horsemen, dolls, etc.

Since the 1930s, items have been painted with oil paints, stains of bronze and silver were applied on top. Special sculptural techniques make it possible to give the images of animals a fabulous look.

Skopin's ceramics

The craft of ceramic and clay products in the form of sculptures and toys has existed in the town of Skopin, Ryazan Region, since the 19th century, thanks to the close occurrence of clay in the vicinity. Decorative and household utensils, the so-called blues, began to be produced here in the days of Kievan Rus. The shapes of clay figurines are simple: they are characters from Russian fairy tales, dragons, the Osprey bird.

For painting clay toys, colored (yellow, green) glaze is used, as well as sealed from several compounds, which make it possible to obtain colors from light beige to brown-red. The technique is used to obtain a gray-smoky color or "smoke".

Khludnev's toy

Pottery has existed in the village of Khludnevo, Kaluga Region, since the 16th century. Since ancient times, local clays have been used for the manufacture of dishes, from which women sculpted whistles, thunderbolts, horns and various figures.

The main plot of the Khludnev clay toy is the tree of life, which it makes as a talisman. Its various compositions with animals, birds and people are filled with a certain meaning. Old craftswomen also came up with the idea of combining 2 or more plots in one figure at once, adding humor and fun. Such "flip-flops", a kind of puzzle, are divided into several types, depending on whether it is necessary to turn the toy to see its second meaning.

Another original find among Khludnev's figurines is a “wet nightingale” in the form of a small pot with a whistle, the nightingale sound from which can be obtained only by pouring water. Modern craftswomen still live in the village and make toys by hand in accordance with all traditions and national style.

Romanov toy

The history of making such pottery items originates from the village of Romanovo-Gorodishche, Lipetsk region, where the peasants moved together with the Romanov boyars. A variety of local clay is used for the production of white, black, red and yellow crockery. To sculpt the whistles, the craftsmen used only black clay, the strongest and softest. Whistles are made with 2, 4 or more holes for different sounds.

Such toys are popularly called "romance". The main color is yellow, which allows you to add lightness to the clay craft, and the elegant decor in the form of adhesions, notches, engraving and painting in 2-3 colors allows you to balance the roundness of the volumes and the heaviness of the material.

The plots of the Romanov toy are very diverse: a flying lark, a racing troika, horse riders, bears, sleigh rides, pets, etc., about 40 in total. The main characters are a lady and an officer. Traditional colors are red, green, yellow, as well as black, blue and crimson.

All of these types of Russian clay toys have been popular among the people for more than one century. The simple shapes of the whistles and handicrafts reflect the experiences of many generations of artisans and artists. The fairy-tale world of clay toys is a vivid manifestation of folk art that deserves attention. Even contemporary pieces with traditional themes help to trace the history, development and regional stylistic features of such works of art.

Folk clay toy

The folk clay toy is one of the components of the sculptural image. When working with folk clay toys, children gain skills that they use when creating other types of stucco work, which makes the products more expressive both in design and in design. The expressiveness of children's modeling depends not only on how much the child was able to convey the shape and proportions of the toy, but also on how he was able to decorate his work or sculpt the corresponding design elements of the figure.

Folk toy opens up great opportunities for teaching children composition. She is diverse in her style of performance. The ability to sculpt toys in different styles is possible only if the child fully understands the differences in the depiction of form and decorative ornaments. To do this, you need to more often acquaint children with toys of various crafts, with their features, both sculptural and ornamental.

By showing children a toy, the teacher can direct the children’s attention to the disclosure of the image from the point of view of its expressiveness. For example, offering to sculpt a doll with a rocker - "Vodonosku", the teacher tells what the figurine depicts, asks the children if they saw how they carry water on the rocker arms, then draws their attention to the plasticity of the form, analyzes the details of clothing, the position of hands, buckets, which amusingly swayed on the rocker arms.

Almost all folk toys are monotonous in the way they are depicted. This must be taken into account when working with children. So, goats, horses, rams, deer and bears are depicted in one way: the body and legs are made from one piece. Birds are depicted in the same way. Therefore, sculpting techniques are shown only when children first sculpt an object. The use of folk toys in the sculpting process can lead to the same type of work, not only in the way of representation, but also in form. Therefore, toys should be selected in such a way that each character is presented in different versions. This will provide an opportunity to show children a variety of shapes, proportions, paintings and ways of depicting toys. It should also be remembered that a folk toy is used only in the process of acquainting children with the life around them.

Classes using folk art items help develop the mental activity of a small child. However, this is possible only if a systematic, systematic familiarization of children with objects of folk art is carried out, as a result of which children create their own decorative works.

There are several centers for the manufacture of traditional clay toys in Russia, and each of them has its own peculiarities in modeling and painting. The most famous are: Dymkovo, Filimonov, Kargopol and Kalinin toys.

Dymkovo toys.

The products of Kirov craftsmen surprise with their plastic form, special proportions, and a pattern that is unusual in brightness. Everyone loves the lively, festive, magnificently molded and painted dolls of the lady-fiancee, goats, horses, roosters with painted tails. The craft originated in the distant past. The earliest description of Dymkovo toys dates back to 1811. Its author is Nikolai Zakharovich Khitrovo. The description tells about the popular Vyatka holiday - "Svistoplyaska" (later they began to call it the whistle "), during which painted clay dolls with a gilded pattern were sold.

Before the revolution, craftsmen worked in the village of Dymkovo alone and with families. They dug clay, mixed it with sand, kneaded first with their feet, and then with their hands. The items were fired in Russian ovens and then painted. Women and children took part in this work. The factory where Dymkovo toys are now made is located in the city of Kirov. Everyone knows the names of the famous masters of Dymkovo toys. This is A.A. Mazurin, E.3. Koshkina, 3.V. Penkin. The process of making a toy can be divided into two stages: modeling the product and painting it. In front of each craftswoman are the materials she needs at the moment. When sculpting, there is clay in a cellophane bag on the tables. Local Kirov clay, very pleasant to work with due to its molded qualities. Craftswomen say: "Our clay is like butter." In addition to clay, there is a basin with water on the table, rags for smoothing the surface of the product and stacks. In the event that the craftswomen are engaged in painting, there are paints, brushes on the tables in glasses, and there are already burnt and primed toys nearby.

Depicting a doll, the craftswomen first make a skirt from a layer of clay, resulting in a hollow bell-shaped shape; the head, neck and upper part of the body are made from one piece, and the details of clothing: ruffles, frills, cuffs, hats, etc., are molded separately and applied to the main form, calling them adhesions. The craftswomen apply patterns on the white surface of the product so dexterously and confidently that you do not have time to follow their hands.

The Dymkovo toy is very specific. In the creation of its form and in the design, there are traditions, which are expressed, first of all, in the static, splendor of forms and brightness of color. For example, in the composition "Mother with Children" the figure of a woman looks straight ahead, she seems to have frozen in this position. If you look closely at other toys depicting goats, roosters, bears, then this staticity is felt in them as well.

The craftswomen strictly preserve and support the traditions established by the previous masters, but each has its own characteristics in work. Some dolls are tall, stately, while others are slightly smaller in size, wider at the shoulders. Curls fit differently in dandy ladies, different head rotation in animals. Products also differ in color. Some masters work in warm colors: they are dominated by ocher, red and orange; others in cold blues and blues. Some products are decorated with a dense network of ornaments, while others are covered with a pattern.

All products of Dymkovo craftsmen are distinguished by their cheerfulness and subtle humor (for example, "A scene at the well" or "Unloaded dolls go to the market"), which especially attracts the attention of children: they like to look at toys, listen to the teacher's stories about where and how they are made.

Filimonov toys.

No less famous folk craft is the village of Filimonovo, Odoyevsky district, Tula region, where they make an amazing clay toy. The village is located near the deposits of good white clay. Perhaps this determined her craft (legend says; that grandfather Philemon lived in these places, he made toys). Animals and animals made by artists differ in form and painting. The toys are funny, whimsical and at the same time, simple to perform and very expressive. The plots of Filimonov's toys are traditional - they are peasant ladies, soldiers with epaulets, dancing couples, horse riders; from animals - cows, rams, with tightly twisted horns, a fox with a rooster and mysterious creatures, the prototype of which is difficult to define.

All toys have elastic bodies, long or short legs, elongated necks with small heads. It is difficult to confuse these toys with any others, as they have their own traditions in the interpretation of form and painting. For example, ladies have high bell-shaped skirts with an imperceptible expansion downward, the upper part of the body seems to be smaller in comparison with the skirt. The small head ends with a tall graceful hat. Funny toys depicting long-legged and elongated soldiers in characteristic costumes: a jacket in the waist and striped pants, which toys surprise with their imagination. So, among the toys there is a monster with a deer head. He has a chicken in his hands, a turkey sits on his back, and a chicken on his tail. Animal toys are molded with special plastic. Rams, cows and horses have small heads on elongated necks, and short legs give special stability to all figures.

All toys are very funny and when there are many of them it is a holiday. The painting is bright, and mostly yellow, red, orange, green, blue and white colors prevail. One can only wonder how, by combining simple elements (stripes, arcs, dots, intersecting lines that form stars), the craftswomen create amazing ornaments that fit beautifully on the skirts and aprons of the figures. The painting of toys is traditional: horses, cows and rams are painted with stripes, and figures of people are painted using all the elements in various combinations. The faces of the figures always remain white, and only small strokes indicate the eyes, mouth, nose.

A small child, first of all, sees fun in Filimolov's toy, fantastic images of an object that awaken his creativity. And where an adult thinks about the definition of the content of a toy, everything is clear to the child. He is not embarrassed by either the motley coloring or the fantasy of the craftswomen with regard to the conventional interpretation of the image. Filimonov toys, as a rule, are whistles and are designed for the child to play with them.

Kargopol toys.

An interesting toy is the Kargopol one. Kargopol is an ancient Russian city surrounded by forest. Since ancient times, the inhabitants of this city and its environs have been engaged in pottery. for the most part they made pouring dishes, pots, crinkles, bowls for sour cream. Some craftsmen made clay toys.

Research has shown that the modern Kargopol toy arose on the basis of domestic peasant pottery that existed in the 19th century in the village of Grinevo, located near Kargopol.

However, in 1930. artistic craft fell into decay. Only the talented craftswoman U. I. Babkina continued to make toys. It is her products that are characterized by the best features of a folk toy. In 1967. Kargopol workshops for the manufacture of painted clay toys were created. Among them, a large place is occupied by semi-fantastic images associated with folk pagan holidays, accompanied by music, dances, and mummers. Whistle toys were an integral part of the holidays.

Next to the bright, sonorous in color Dymkovo and Filimonov toys, the plastic of the figures of this northern region may seem harsh. Images of people are given with a psychological characteristic, so the viewer can imagine the life and way of life of local residents. In the toy we see a reflection of the village theme: peasant women with baskets or a bird in the hands of dolls with spinning wheels, bearded men during work or rest. The Kargopol toy is also characterized by multi-figured compositions - merry troikas with riders in sleighs, dancing figures, boating and many other scenes, exactly noticed by the masters. Characteristic is the depiction of the characters' clothes: women in sweaters and skirts, and sometimes in dresses, a scarf or a hat on their heads, men in caftans. Basically, the plots are dynamic, taken from life. Kargopol craftsmen also love to portray animals: a bear, a hare, a horse, a dog, a pig, a goose and a duck. Among the toys of this craft, you can also find those whose prototypes are associated with legends, for example. Polkan is a half-beast, half-man, two-headed horses and deer. In the assortment of modern Kargopol toys, there are plots on the themes of folk tales: "The wolf and the seven kids", "The cat, the rooster and the fox", etc.

The Kargopol toy is characterized by convention in the interpretation of the image in terms of shape, proportions and color. All figurines are somewhat squat, with short arms and legs, an elongated body, a thick and short neck, and a relatively large head. Figures depicting men are always with a thick beard, which is performed by pulling clay away from the total volume of the head. Female figures have skirts in the form of low bells, which can give the impression of a squat. But since the waists of the dolls are elongated, this balances the figure, making it slim and monolithic.

Kargopol craftsmen portray animals as fat-legged and sometimes dynamic, for example, a bear stands on its hind legs - the moment of attack; the dog has paws apart and an open mouth; a duck with outstretched wings and an outstretched neck, ready to fly. As for the painting, it is severe and restrained in its color. However, now the craftsmen are bringing in yellow, blue and orange colors to revive the toys. They are used to paint buttons, beads, beaks of birds, and clothes are set off. The main elements of the ornament are combinations of intersecting lines, circles, twigs without leaves, Christmas trees, dots and stripes.

They sculpt toys in parts. The base of the figure is the torso, which, together with the head, is attached to a pre-fashioned skirt. To depict male figures, legs and arms are attached to the body in the form of rollers. The joints of the parts are carefully smoothed out, the figures acquire plasticity. The sculpted items are dried for one to two weeks and fired in an oven.

Both in shape and color, a modern toy is made more carefully, it has become more beautiful and brighter. But at the same time, her naivety was lost, which was the main charm of the samples of the old masters.

Among the masters who have carried the traditions of the old toy to our time, the most famous are W.I. Babkina and I.V. Druzhinin. Now hereditary masters K.P. Sheveleva, A.P. Shevelev, S.E. Druzhinin. However, the images are based on old folk traditions.

Kalinin toys.

Craftsmen decorate the toy with moldings that bond well with its basic shape. The bright enamel pattern beautifully complements the figurines, lying on a brown background, since the product is not primed and the background is the color of fired clay. Basically, the toy is static, but there are swan birds with sharply turned necks and heads, which gives them special plasticity. Among the toys are roosters, chickens, geese, swans, ducks with ducklings.

This initial activity leads children to understand that the work done can be decorated, it will become more interesting and beautiful. With age, the acquaintance of children with folk art expands, and therefore the tasks of decorating objects become more difficult. Children begin to sculpt and decorate dishes, dolls, animals like folk toys. Gradually, they learn to select and combine decorative elements, make a pattern from them, place it first on a flat, and then on a three-dimensional object. All this, in turn, develops in children the need to create beautiful products, develops their artistic taste. Each locality created its own clay toys. The toys were distinguished by the peculiarities of modeling and painting.

Thus, folk toys, with their rich themes, influence the child's idea during modeling, enrich the idea of the world around him. In addition, the possibilities of children in plot modeling are expanding. Folk clay toys should be studied taking into account the age characteristics of children.

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