The Russian nesting doll, a.k.a. The matryoshka doll is a well-known symbol of Russian history and folklore. Many have found it interesting that the Russian nesting doll began in the late 19th century. To this day, the origins of the first Russian nesting doll still elude us. One version is that the first doll appeared around 1890 and was modeled after a similar style toy doll from Japan.
We may never know their true beginnings, but that's okay; it adds to their legend. If you look at the several websites that sell , you'll find that the History section has a different structure and theme. This is due to the Nesting Doll's fragmented history and the writer's style. Of course, this website is no different. I hope the informative history that is laid out before you will be respectful to the native Russian people and their proud heritage. As I stated initially, the Russian Nesting Doll had its beginnings around 1890.
A wealthy businessman, Savva Mamontov, a patron of arts, began supporting local painters and craftsmen in an attempt to give new life to the "Russian style" of art. His brother, Anatoly, opened the Children's Education Workshop in his home. Local talent was gathered together here to create the next Russian legend. The name "matryoshka" comes from the Russian word mat or mother. The "oshka" part of a matryoshka is given names to show beloved affection.
Matryona and Matryoshka were common names given to Russian girls prior to World War (I). Matryoshka is a Russian term that conjures up pregnant ladies and motherhood images. The word is also given to the image of Russian females who are robust, rustic, and of a portly stature due to the environment in which they live. The images of these women were honored in the earliest styles of matryoshka dolls. Semenov Doll: the largest doll or mother was accompanied by her children, who were painted on the smaller dolls nested inside.
These nesting dolls were painted with decorative clothing customary to their region. During the 1900 World Exposition in Paris, one doll was displayed and got positive feedback, winning an award. After being so well received, many artists and lathe turners began making matryoshka dolls full time. Over the years, there has been little change in producing a nesting doll. The only noticeable change has been the replacement of hand-turned (two-man operated) lathes for electric ones.
The making of a Russian Nesting Dolls is impressive in itself. The journey of a piece of wood-from a linden tree in the forests of the Upper Volga region to a dazzling piece of Russian art on your mantle is one that takes several years to complete. This journey starts every year during the harvest season of spring when the sap is rising. Men carrying their axes and crosscut saws will go out into the forest to harvest the main ingredient that will go into the making of future nesting dolls.
After the trees have been felled, the bark is scraped away, revealing bare poles. The wood is stacked to cure for 2-6 years in the open air. Now it is ready to be sawed to differing lengths to be mounted on a lathe. The Latter operation is traditionally passed on from father to son. Hollowing out a doll the pipe chisel is used to make perfectly rounded pieces. The largest doll comes first to minimize waste. The first stage is the top portion of the doll. A center hole is created using a spoon chisel, so a hook chisel can be utilized to hollow out the inside.
The top portion is linked with the rotating stick to make a burn mark. This mark will reveal the diameter of the bottom portion. This creates a beautiful partnership between top and bottom. The bottom is now carved out, and they are joined together to make perfect mates. Next, the mated pieces are mounted to the lathe where the operator will smooth it out, add the finishing touches to the body, cut it from the pole, and repeat this process repeatedly with the next smaller size doll.
Artist The unpainted doll is then handed to the women, where it will be turned from a dull form into a beautiful masterpiece. To prepare the nesting dolls for painting, a layer of potato starch is added to fill in the natural holes of the wood. This creates a smooth base on which to paint. The artist will start with pencil sketching to form the outline of the face (compass makes the circles) and body. After that, a black outline is drawn over the pencil using a felt-tip marker.
She will begin with light colors and progress to darker ones while covering mistakes along the way. Often the women will use their makeup to form blush on the cheeks of the matryoshka dolls. After the paint has dried, a lacquer is applied by hand to give it a high gloss look and protect the artwork for years to come. Most wives can produce 100 5-piece nesting doll sets in a week. Back in the old days before the internet, villagers would journey out to distant marketplaces in the Czar's empire to sell their matryoshka dolls. Now companies like Hugo Enterprises, Inc. are helping villagers share their love for these nesting dolls with people worldwide.