Paints of Old Believer Carved Icons of the Lower Pechora: Technical, Technological, Historical, and Archival Aspects of Study

This article considers the technical, technological, and archival aspects of study Old Believer carved works art (icons crosses) Lower Pechora, whose origin is associated with Velikopozhensky Monastery on Pizhma River (currently, Ust-Tsilma District Komi Republic). The reason for hypothesis about local ochre used painting icons, as there are rich deposits in vicinity village Skitskaya (on site former Skete). According to written sources, they were developed until first quarter twentieth century. describes methods studying composition samples from Skitskaya, colours Cross Golgotha, a icon collection National Gallery Republic (Syktyvkar). Also, authors speak palette F. O. Anshukov, hereditary spoon maker research results, their correlation data sources. demonstrates that white other pigments Golgotha contain lead. red pigment minium. blue corresponds Prussian blue. Natural (caput mortuum, ochre) not used. In maker’s palette, red, brown, mixed lead an admixture quartz, barite, gypsum. Minium was pigment. paint zinc white. green replaced arsenic-containing (Scheele’s green?). brown contains iron oxides, which suggests natural mortuum). results testify eighteenth nineteenth centuries, inhabitants Skete descendants, masters “Pyzhem painting” wood, mainly imported artificial origin.