Matryoshka

This well-known Russian toy first appeared in central Russia at the end of the 19th century, when a toy maker in the village of Sergiev Posad crafted a wooden doll containing seven other dolls that were graduated in size and fitted into each other. The largest doll depicted a girl with a rooster and contained a slightly smaller boy doll, which in turn contained a smaller girl doll, and so on, with the smallest of the eight, a baby swaddled in a diaper. The nesting doll quickly became recognized as a unique Russian folk art and was exhibited in the Russian pavilion at the 1900 World Fair in Paris. The matryoshka– popular today among children and collectors worldwide–has come to symbolize Russia itself.

Matryoshka dolls are carved individually on a lathe out of soft wood (usually linden) and then brightly painted in a variety of ornate patterns with aniline dye or oil, and finally lacquered. Frequently the artists borrow their designs from traditional folk art, fairy tales, history, icon painting and, above all, the artist's personal fantasy. It is interesting to note that the artist carves the smallest doll first and then continues to turn larger hollow dolls into which the preceding one is fitted. These dolls usually come in sets of 3, 5, 7, 10, and more pieces. In Russia today one can occasionally run across matryoshka dolls in specialty shops and at art fairs consisting of as many as 30 and 35 pieces.

Why is the doll called a "matryoshka"? The name comes from Matryona, which was a very popular female name among peasants in old Russia. The name Matryona in turn is related to the Latin root "mater" and means "Mother." Thus, the name is closely connected with motherhood and in turn the doll has come to symbolize fertility–a mother-doll with numerous off-spring.

Post-Soviet times have witnessed a boom in matryoshka production as they have become a collector's favorite. Both Russians and foreigners collect matryoshkas that not only depict the traditional female figure, but also political leaders (Yeltsin, Clinton), sports teams (Bulls, Colts), Walt Disney characters (Snow White, Mickey Mouse), Santa Claus dolls, celebrities (O. J. Simpson), etc.

The sampling of matryoshkas displayed here are from private collections of our students, faculty, and friends of Russian at Purdue University.

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