The Art of the Russian Matryoshka Doll, Nesting Dolls and Books

The Art of the Russian Matryoshka Doll

The Art of the Russian Matryoshka is the most comprehensive account of the history, production, varieties, and creators of these charming nesting dolls. In their short 100-year history, they have become more than a popular souvenir or a folk craft; they are a medium for talented Russian artist-entrepreneurs—and a symbol of Russian folk culture, if not Russia itself. The book is available for purchase through our association with amazon books.

The history of the Russian matryoshka dates from the 1890s, when a doll-within-a-doll was produced by Vasilii Zvyozdochkin, a master toy maker in Sergiev Posad, a monastery village known for several wooden toy workshops. His doll was painted in Moscow's Arbat by well known artist Sergei Malyutin. From late czarist Russia, through the Soviet era, to the present day open market economy, the book follows the dolls from folk craft to icon of Russian culture.

	Every step of the process of making the matryoshka is explained and presented in full color plates. Photos were taken in factories that are only a couple days' drive from Moscow, but nearly a century away in the spirit of handcraft and old-world technology.
	The workers in the factories prepare the lathe-turned blanks by hand rubbing them in starch to seal the grain of the wood, thus preventing spreading or "blossoming" of the paint.
	A chapter on the sizes, shapes, and varieties of the dolls is complemented by a thorough survey of the themes represented on dolls that are produced both in factories and by independent artists.
	Tour the cities, villages, and factories of the matryoshka with attention to the specialties and unique qualities of dolls from each location. Above are two pages about Polkhovsky Maidan, the village where, if you do not turn doll blanks in your backyard workshop, you do not live in Maidan. The painting studios in the factories employ primarily women of the village. It is steady work and many of the artists have parents who also painted matryoshki.
	The independent artists of the matryoshka work in their homes. They work on their own schedules and sell their dolls either to middlemen or directly in Moscow's Izmailovo market or other venues. Some artists are self-trained, others have many years of study in prestigious schools of fine art in Russia. All build and continue a tradition of doll making that not only secures them a living, but offers a canvas for their expression and talents.
	In a final chapter on collecting matryoshki, is a discussion on the various approaches to building a matryoshka collection, including guidance on evaluating quality. They conclude the book by observing that collecting matryoshki is a way to participate personally in the continuing evolution of this Russian folk craft.

Purchase The Book | View Matryoshka Dolls | Home

emilysgifts.com 2007