Matryoshka doll

A set of hollow wooden dolls of decreasing size that fit inside one another, traditionally painted as Russian figures.

Nesting doll: A set of hollow objects of decreasing size that fit inside one another. Matryoshka dolls are the best-known cultural form of nesting dolls.
Sergiyev Posad: A Russian city northeast of Moscow, historically known for toy and folk craft production. Its toy-making tradition helped shape the craft behind early matryoshkas.
Russian folk art: Traditional visual arts and crafts developed among Russian communities. Matryoshka painting draws on motifs and styles associated with this broad tradition.
Russian identity: The shared and contested sense of belonging associated with Russia and Russian culture. Matryoshkas have become internationally recognized symbols of Russianness.
Woodturning: A woodworking process that shapes wood on a rotating lathe. Turners shape the smooth, hollow bodies of traditional wooden dolls.
Vasily Zvyozdochkin: A Russian woodturner credited with carving the first matryoshka set. He turned the wooden figures for the early set made in Moscow.
Collectible doll: A doll made or acquired primarily for collection rather than play. Distinctive painting and limited editions make matryoshkas collectible objects.
Russian wooden toys: Wooden playthings produced in Russia, including carved figures and painted toys. Matryoshkas belong to a wider history of Russian wooden toy-making.
Linden wood: Light, soft wood from trees of the genus Tilia, commonly used for carving. Its softness and fine grain suit the dolls’ carved shells.
Sergei Malyutin: A Russian painter and designer associated with the first matryoshka dolls. He designed the painted figure that established the doll’s familiar appearance.

Linked from 1 page

Rag dollCompared with: Its carved, rigid form differs from the sewn and stuffed body of a rag doll.