Matryoshka literally means 'Little Matron' and are also commonly known as Babushka dolls, Stacking dolls, Russian Tea dolls or Nesting dolls. These wooden dolls of decreasing sizes fit inside one another.
Originating from 1890, the first carved stacking dolls were created from a design by Sergey Malyutin, a Folk painter and carved by wood carver Vasily Zvyozdochkin.
Traditionally the outer layer is a woman, dressed in a sarafan, a long traditional Russian peasant 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 from fairy tale characters to Soviet Leaders, in our case The Beatles.
A set of four Russian Matryoshka dolls
modelled as the Beatles, 12.5cm to 4.5cm high
for Auction 10th March
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