Vintage Russian Nesting Doll.
This beautiful vintage wooden nesting doll is a set of four; the largest is Dad, then Mom, 1 child and a baby. I am estimating that this set was made in the 1970s, based on a little bit of research, the yellowed label on the bottom and the general style and quality. The traditional design and detail on these dolls is beautifully done.
Approximate Size: Dad measures 4 3/4 inches tall, Mom 3 1/4 inches tall, child 2 1/2 inches tall and baby is 1 1/4 inches tall.
Condition is very good generally for the first three dolls. Dad has a few dings but they don't affect the paint. There is a portion of the original label on the bottom. Mom is very good except for blurring of paint on top - I think this is original to the piece. The child has a little wear around the middle (where it joins) and the varnish on her head is bumpy. The baby's paint is really, really worn. Otherwise, all colours are bright and beautiful. The wood is sound (no cracks). The dolls open very smoothly and stack neatly inside. (See close-up pictures).
~ Made in Russia ~
Important Note: Since this is a vintage hand-painted item, it should not be given to a child who still puts things in their mouth, and solely at the parent's discretion.
From Wikipedia:"Matryoshka dolls (Russian: матрёшка, IPA: [mɐˈtrʲɵʂkə] (listen); also known as babushka dolls, stacking dolls, nesting dolls, Russian tea dolls, or Russian dolls) are a set of wooden dolls of decreasing size placed one inside another. The name matryoshka, literally "little matron", is a diminutive form of Russian female first name "Matryona" (Матрёна) or "Matryosha". A set of matryoshkas consists of a wooden figure, which separates at the middle, top from bottom, to reveal a smaller figure of the same sort inside, which has, in turn, another figure inside of it, and so on. The first Russian nested doll set was made in 1890 by wood turning craftsman and wood carver Vasily Zvyozdochkin from a design by Sergey Malyutin, who was a folk crafts painter at Abramtsevo. Traditionally the outer layer is a woman, dressed in a sarafan, a long and shapeless traditional Russian peasant jumper dress. The figures inside may be of any gender; the smallest, innermost doll is typically a baby turned from a single piece of wood. Much of the artistry is in the painting of each doll, which can be very elaborate. The dolls often follow a theme; the themes may vary, from fairy tale characters to Soviet leaders. In the west, matryoshka dolls are often referred to as babushka dolls, babushka meaning "grandmother" or "old woman"."
