Russian Folk Art surveys the traditions, styles, and functions of the many objects made by Russian peasant artists and artisans. Placing the objects within the settings in which folk artists worked―the peasant household, the village, and the local market―Alison Hilton discusses the principal media artists employed and the items they produced, from dippers and goblets to clothing and window frames. Emphasizing the balance between time-honored forms and techniques and the creativity of individual artists, the book explores how images and designs helped to form a Russian esthetic identity in the 19th and 20th centuries. Abundantly illustrated with examples from Russian museums, Russian Folk Art is a treasure for anyone interested in Russian culture. "All in all, this volume represents a fine source on the evolution and range of russian folk art and is the only comprehensive such study available in English."― Journal of American Folklore ". . . intelligent, well-written, beautifully edited and handsomely produced . . . wealth of detail and interpretive perspectives . . ."― Canadian Folklore ". . . a significant contribution to Russian art history in any language. Her book proves invaluable for serious specialists, useful as a textbook for students, and informative for all interested in the subject."― The Russian Review "Hilton surveys the field of Russian folk art thoughtfully and thoroughly, in prose of exemplary clarity. . . . Russian Folk Art exemplifies how academic inquiry and research are properly done."― Choice Alison Hilton is Wright Family Professor of Art History and Director of the M.A. Program in Art and Museum Studies at Georgetown University. She is author of Kazimir Malevich, 1878–1935 and author (with Norton T. Dodge) of New Art from the Soviet Union: The Known and the Unknown.