The history of Russian chest craft (19th – early 20th centuries). Collection of scientific articles. Gleb Pudov

123. It is possible that the comb painting spread in the chest industry of the Vologda region through the Kostroma painters and the house paintings (or rather, as part of the house paintings). Petersburg scientist Michael Milchik rightly wrote that «the decorative and ornamental principle finally prevailed among the Kostroma masters»124 and most clearly manifested in the murals with the comb painting. It can be assumed that this was an economical option for decorating household items, since it represented in a sense part of the house paintings.

      3. It is necessary to take into account other sources that influenced the development of comb painting. It is known that in the second half of the 19th – early 20th centuries the walls of peasant huts were covered with wallpaper125. The researcher of the history of Russian wallpapers I.A. Kiselev wrote: «In the last third of the 19th century, wallpapers imitating a veneered wooden surface became widespread. A pattern of the texture of a tree of a particular species (oak, birch, mahogany) was applied to the paper, and then its surface was varnished126. It is known that the same craftsmen painted interiors, decorated household items, painted icons, and some also worked at the Termeng paper factory. By the way, chintz, which gained popularity among the peasantry at that time and influenced the painting of northern spinning wheels127, probably, was also important for painting chests. One should also take into account the wide distribution of the cubic printing (it is «сubic» because the staining took place in a vat, which was called a cube. The cube contained a solution containing indigo in combination with iron vitriol and quicklime. The pattern was applied by printing a reserve composition on the fabric, which did not allow certain areas of the fabric to be dyed. It was called «vapa». After removing the reserve, a white pattern remained on a blue background.) in rural and urban life. Its ornamental motifs and color combinations could play a certain role in the development of comb painting. The enumeration of sources that may have influenced the development of the painting in question could be continued almost endlessly. The reason for this is that each peasant house, as mentioned above, is a single stylistic complex that combines many types of folk art. It is an integral system, each element of which is in active interaction with others. Therefore, it is not surprising that the comb painting reveals a relationship with many artistic phenomena.