Mary Anderson discussing her Russian Icon
Harriet Shemer
At their March meeting, Mary Anderson displayed and gave a presentation on her Russian Santas collection and other Russian memorabilia. Below is part of her presentation.
“Collecting Russian Santas began on September 11 when visiting Russia on business and pleasure. While Neiman Marcus was displaying these in their Christmas catalog that year, I decided to investigate getting the Santas at a less expensive price than ‘needless markup.’ I fell in love with their beauty and their story while doing so. Russian Santas deliver gifts in person along with the Snow Maiden (our Mrs. Santa Claus) unlike our Santa Claus coming down a chimney, eating cookies or drinking milk. Russian Santas differ from our Santas by being tall and thin, wearing a long coat and semi-round fur hat. The similarities are they do wear boots and have white beards. New Year’s Eve is a popular gift giving time as New Year’s replaced Christmas in Russian history when communists banned religious holidays in 1917 during the Bolshevik Revolution under Lenin. Nowadays Russians celebrate Christmas on January 7. Santa lives in the north Russian woods and has no elves. He is brought from the woods on a Troika (Russian sleigh pulled by three horses).”
“The Santas are carved out of a single block of dried linden wood that has been dried for at least two years. After the carver makes the shape then it goes to an artist to paint scenes depicting fairy tales or the Troika. Many times more than one artist is involved depending on their skill specialty (eyes, animals). Older Santas are lacquered; however, the new ones have become Americanized and display a matte finish. Things to look for when purchasing a Russian Santa are the faces, animals, shading and especially the eyes.”
Marty Anderson and Libby Cohen sponsored the event.
The Catalina Timewalkers welcomes new members. We meet on the third Friday from October through May. Exceptions are December and May when we meet on the second Friday of the month. The purpose of Questers is to stimulate the appreciation of antiques and collectibles through study and to encourage the restoration and preservation of historic landmarks. Call Sandi Newberry at 520-818-0199 if you are interested in attending a meeting or what more information.