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[HOW TO MAKE WOODEN TOYS: A MASTERCLASS FROM THE SELF-TAUGHT ARTIST] Reznaya igrushka iz dereva: So mnogimi ris. [i.e. Carved Wooden Toys: With Multiple Illustrations]

Chushkin, A.

Moscow; Leningrad: Gos. izd-vo, 1927. Item #1156

64 pp.: ill., schemes. 19.8x13.5 cm. In original illustrated publisher’s wrappers. Loss of the small pieces of the spine, Soviet bookshop stamp on the rear wrapper. Otherwise near fine.

Scarce. First edition. Wrappers by an unknown artist. With black-and-white photographs and schemes throughout. A part of the series Svoimi rukami [i.e. DIY].
This detailed manual on how to carve wooden toys was written by Andrey Chushkin, a famous wood carver from the Bogorodskoye selo.
The history of the world-renowned Russian wooden toys originates from the village of Bogorodskoye in the Moscow region. The production of the first simple wooden toys started back in the XVII century and reached its peak in the early XX century. The development process was led by the author of the present edition, Andrey Chushkin (1882-1933), and his teacher, the editor of the DIY series, Nikolai Bartram (1873-1971). A graduate of the Moscow School of Painting, Bartram organized a series of workshops on the complex wood toys for the Bogorodskoye artisans in the 1900s. Chushkin, who had never received any formal art training before, quickly distinguished himself with the skillful depiction of human and animal anatomy. In the following years, the self-taught artist went on to set the trend of producing more realistic and dynamic wooden toys. In 1918, Bartram, in close collaboration with Chushkin, established a repository of historical treasures Toy Museum, which up to date boasts one of the largest collections of toys in Russia.
Written by one of the most talented artisans of the Bogorodskoye village, the book provides a rare insight into the craft of the carved wooden toys. The edition offers a step-by-step guide to producing animal, human, and bird figurines (both static and dynamic, simple and complex) and elaborates upon different methods of wood carving, including carving with a chisel. The author focuses on the different types of materials (tilia, alder, populus tremula, etc.) for the craft and identifies two groups of tools in accordance with the complexity of the toy. The book gives a basic description of the use of each instrument and features 4 tables on the wood carving of animal and human figurines. The first two tables depict wood logs with the indication of splitting sizes, while other two tables show human body proportions. The edition is thoroughly illustrated and includes numerous black-and-white photographs and drawings detailing the wood carving process.

No copies found in Worldcat.

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