History of Nesting Dolls

Nesting dolls, also known as Matryoshka dolls, Russian nested dolls, stacking dolls or babushka dolls, have their roots deep in Russian history. "Babushka" means "grandmother" in Russian, and "Matryoshka" is a derivative of the name "Matryona" which was common among the female peasantry of old Russia. "Matryona" is in turn related to "mater," the Latin for "mother," thereby giving the nesting dolls a close connotation with motherhood and fertility. The dolls, nested one inside the other, may also be seen as symbolizing the process of carrying and giving birth to a baby.

Origins

Though today the nesting doll proudly displays its Russian heritage, it was the Chinese who first created a nesting doll in the late 1800s, based on a technique of storage boxes, one inside the other, that had been invented around 1,000 C.E.

Russian Influence

Nesting dolls found their way to Japan, where a wealthy Russian patron of the arts, Savva Mamontov, first saw them in the early 1890s. Deciding to turn them into a symbol of Russian heritage, he had one of his artists, Sergei Maliutin, recreate the dolls' look, and in 1900 Mamontov's wife presented the very Russian dolls at the World Exhibition in Paris.

Materials

The Linden tree is traditionally used to fashion these dolls, as its wood is well known for not only its durability, but also its pliability.

Appearance

The dolls, numbering five or more, can be either male or female, though the largest doll is traditionally a woman depicted in a sarafan, and the smallest doll is traditionally an infant depicted in a diaper, the latter of which usually doesn't open. These representations of the old Russian peasantry are accompanied by symbols of their humble roots, such as baskets and scythes. All of these images are customarily painted in subdued earth tones.

Modern Types

Beginning with the onset of Communism in Russia, the traditional Nesting Doll was oftentimes replaced with more topical and popular themes. Nesting Dolls featuring the faces of famous political leaders, movie stars and even things as simple as types of animals began to appear more frequently to appear to a wider audience.