Matreshkas are the distinctive, brightly painted nesting dolls so characteristic of Russian folk art.
Before the painter starts his work the wood turner makes a "part blank". Every doll is turned by hand with lathe. All dolls are made from natural wood. After the pictures are ready, dolls are covered by the several layers of the lacquer. The lacquer adds glint to the doll and defends the pictures.
The main peculiarity of our Russian Matreshka is her beauty and marvelous decoration. Gorgeous Russian Winter with its small details. Delicate lines, warm colours and Russian patience make this Doll is real piece of art!
Make a present to you and your friends!
The widely spread opinion that matryoshka is an authentic Russian toy is unfortunately a mere myth. The first Russian matryoshka was turned and painted - according to a sample brought from Japan - in a Moscow toy workshop only in the 90s of the XIXth century.
The Japanese original was manufactured with a great sense of humor. It consisted of a number of figurines stacking one inside the other and representing the Japanese Wiseman Fukuruma, a bold-headed old man with an oval-shaped head - the consequence of his deep meditations.
The first Russian matryoshka represented a group of children. The eight dolls that the set consisted of depicted children of different ages: from the eldest girl (the outmost doll) with a rooster to the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes.
The first matryoshkas - manufactured by "Children Education" cartel - even though they were made for children, cost a lot of money and were quite popular among adults.
The end of the XIXth century brought with it a real "matryoshka boom". To satisfy the unexpected demand, new manufacturers emerged on the market. In less than a few years, almost the whole city of Sergiev Posad was painting matryoshkas. This city was the place that had both multitudes of experienced wood turners and the excellent raw material: birch and lime trees. The painting was done by family cartels, where even children and old people took part in the process.
As a rule, Russian matryoshkas depicted young ladies in Russian sarafans [peasant woman's dress] and shawls, holding baskets, flowers, bread-and-salt [traditional Russian sign of hospitality], etc. Matryoshkas gained considerable popularity abroad and in the beginning of the XXth century Russia started exporting the dolls in large quantities.
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