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Russian nesting dolls, more accurately termed matryoshka, are not the old Russian relics we think they are despite being one of the most recognizable features of Russian folk art.\u00a0 Roughly a century old, the art of the matryoshka has become a universal symbol of Russia and these beautifully created nesting dolls are beloved by collectors and toy enthusiasts around the world.\u00a0 The following article provides facts and trivia about Russian matryoshka.<\/p>\n
Matryoshka nesting dolls> are a series of hand painted wooden dolls.\u00a0 The largest contains the next in size which in turns opens to reveal the next and so forth.\u00a0 The more dolls and the smaller they are worked into containers the greater the skill.\u00a0 A set usually contains at least six dolls. An exceptional set of dolls might even contain thirty.<\/p>\n
The art of matryoshka is practiced in several centers including Sergiev (near Moscow), Semyonov, Vyatka and Tver along with many smaller villages.\u00a0 It is believed that the dolls drew inspiration from Japanese nesting dolls.\u00a0 The Japanese, however, trace the craft to a Russian monk living in Japan.
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\nThe first matryoshka appeared in the late nineteenth century-a time of artistic flowering for artisans who worked in the “Russian Style.”\u00a0 These dolls were typically referred to as Russian peasant toys.\u00a0 Today they are also known as stacking dolls and babushka dolls as so many feature painted kerchiefs typical of Russian peasants.<\/p>\n
Russian artisans typically create the dolls from lime or birch trees.\u00a0 The first matryoshka crafters were already skilled making nesting Easter eggs.\u00a0 Knives, chisels and a lathe are needed to form the wood into dolls.\u00a0 Finished dolls would then be painted and coated with varnish.<\/p>\n