Russian Folk Motifs book is available from the Dover Publications site www.doverpublications.com for $6.95 .
This book is an extensive and complete compilation of Russian Folk Motifs for designers and craftworkers. Dover Publications (1998) describes the content and utility of the book as follows,
" Artists, designers and craftworkers will welcome this inexpensive archive of traditional Russian folk motifs - all royalty free. Over 220 designs, meticulously rendered from authentic art and artefacts, date from the third to the twentieth centuries. (…)Ideal for bringing the authentic flavour of Russian folk art to a host of direct graphic art applications, this modestly prices treasure will also serve as a rich source of inspiration for textile design, home and furniture decoration, and a wide range of other art and craft projects".
The author, Peter Linenthal, introduces this book with a brief summary of the history of the Russian Folk Art in terms of a conglomeration of peoples joined n virtue of ancient times migration and in modern history, in virtue of political international structures that in no way stopped folk artists expressing their own national identity,
"Even with this political unity, the many and disparate regions of the Russian Empire continued to nurture their own local cultures. "
in page 4, Publisher's Note
The designs can easily be transferred to paper or fabric.
I find the patterns of this book very useful for crochet and embroidery patterns in charted paper, but also for historical research purposes by anyone interested in Russian History, not just academic researchers and students.
All the designs and patterns are illustrated with very relevant information regarding the province, the century and the functionality of the design e.g. for carpet motif, architectural motif, plain motif, etc.
Here are my favourite pictures of the book,
Best wishes,
Ariane
