A souvenir plate from the collection of the house-museum was made in the early 20th century at the iron foundry in the town of Kasli, in what is now the Chelyabinsk Region. The factory produced sculptures, decorative objects and architectural elements made of cast iron.
Masters at the plant used their own technology — the Kasli casting. Their pieces had clean, graphic silhouettes, relief surfaces, and lots of carved details.
In 1886, Dmitry Mamin-Sibiryak visited the factory and the workshops where Kasli products were cast. After that, he passed through the town several times during his travels in the Urals. According to archival records, in addition to the plate, the writer had several cast-iron figurines in the form of dogs and horses made at the Kasli enterprise.
The Kasli iron foundry and ironworks opened in 1747. At this time in the Urals, the mining industry was rapidly developing: by the middle of the century, several factories were already operating in the region: factories in Yekaterinburg, Verkh-Isetsk, Nizhniy Tagil, Kamensk, Verkhoturye, Alapaevsk and others.
In 1751, the Kasli factory was purchased by one of the richest Russian entrepreneurs, State Councilor Nikita Demidov. Under his guidance, the Kasli products became famous not only in Russia, but also abroad.
The peak of the popularity of Kasli castings was in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Back then, the factory’s cast-iron products participated in exhibitions in St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, London, and Paris.
The company continued to operate in the Soviet Union. In 1963, the world’s first museum of artistic castings was opened in the town of Kasli. The exhibit consisted of cast-iron pieces made locally in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Kasli cast iron foundry is still in operation, it continues to produce figurines, vases, candle holders, lamps, and other decorative objects.
In addition to Mamin-Sibiryak’s house-museum, the Kasli castings can be seen in other museums of the Urals. For example, in the Yekaterinburg Museum of Fine Arts and the Kasli Historical and Art Museum.
Masters at the plant used their own technology — the Kasli casting. Their pieces had clean, graphic silhouettes, relief surfaces, and lots of carved details.
In 1886, Dmitry Mamin-Sibiryak visited the factory and the workshops where Kasli products were cast. After that, he passed through the town several times during his travels in the Urals. According to archival records, in addition to the plate, the writer had several cast-iron figurines in the form of dogs and horses made at the Kasli enterprise.
The Kasli iron foundry and ironworks opened in 1747. At this time in the Urals, the mining industry was rapidly developing: by the middle of the century, several factories were already operating in the region: factories in Yekaterinburg, Verkh-Isetsk, Nizhniy Tagil, Kamensk, Verkhoturye, Alapaevsk and others.
In 1751, the Kasli factory was purchased by one of the richest Russian entrepreneurs, State Councilor Nikita Demidov. Under his guidance, the Kasli products became famous not only in Russia, but also abroad.
The peak of the popularity of Kasli castings was in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Back then, the factory’s cast-iron products participated in exhibitions in St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, London, and Paris.
The company continued to operate in the Soviet Union. In 1963, the world’s first museum of artistic castings was opened in the town of Kasli. The exhibit consisted of cast-iron pieces made locally in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Kasli cast iron foundry is still in operation, it continues to produce figurines, vases, candle holders, lamps, and other decorative objects.
In addition to Mamin-Sibiryak’s house-museum, the Kasli castings can be seen in other museums of the Urals. For example, in the Yekaterinburg Museum of Fine Arts and the Kasli Historical and Art Museum.
