Matryoshka History
Matryoshkas--wooden dolls that are elaborately hand-painted, and vary greatly in size and height--are enduring symbols of Russian art.
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Meaning of "Matryoshka"
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Before the dawn of the 20th century, the name "Matryona" or "Martiyosha" was a popular female name. It was a derivation of the Latin root "mater" which means "mother," and it came to symbolize fertility and motherhood. The most common sets of matryoshkas comprise the depiction of a portly, cheerful mother with her children of differing shapes and sizes.
Shared Origins
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A wooden figurine of a bald-headed Buddhist monk brought from the Japanese island of Honshu to Russia is credited as the prototype of the modern matryoshka. Interestingly, the Japanese claim that an unknown Russian monk was the first person to make such dolls.
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The First Matryoshka
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Matryoshka dolls took their name after the first figurine--that of a girl--manufactured in the 1890s at the workshop of Vassily Zviozdochkin. Sergey Maliutin, who worked at the workshop, is credited as the first painter of these dolls.
Nesting Dolls
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Matryoshka dolls are made in sets, and are usually painted to represent families. They are also referred to as "nesting dolls" because each set has a big doll that the smaller dolls are placed in, and one can open each doll until the smallest one is revealed.
Importance in Russian Society
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The matryoshka has grown to represent Russia's rich history and culture. Matryoshkas' depictions have expanded to include tsars, literary and folk-tale characters, ruthless warriors and Cold War-era politicians.
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References
- Photo Credit angelfire.com
