Nesting Dolls (Matryoshka) - Traditional - 30 doll sets - Folk Art
Russian Gifts

'Gold & Blue Zhostovo Style' $450.94 Size: a approx. 8.7' Metric: a 22 cm Consists of: a 30 pieces Finish: a matte Availability: a ships within 12-17 business days Origin: a Russian Federation Product Details a As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. The whole set has a gentle matte finish. ZHOSTOVO PAINTING Zhostovo painting is one of the traditional types of Russian decorative work developed in the village of Zhostovo of Mytishi region, Moscow oblast. It appeared at the beginning of 19th century under the influence of Ural flower painting on metal. Zhostovo painting is essentially drawing on metal trays preliminarily covered by several layers of thick putty and oil varnish (normally, of black color). The painting itself is accomplished in several consequent stages; soft brush and oil-colors (richly mixed with linseed-oil) create an impression of an energetic and elastic touch. Stylistic development of Zhostovo painting is closely related to Russian porcelain and enamel painting of Moscow region's plants and factories, as well as with the flower motifs of printed Ivanovo cottons and P.V. Lukutin miniature. The main motif of Zhostovo painting - a flower bouquet - is simple and laconic in its composition: larger garden flowers are combined with smaller wild flowers; the actual shape of a flower is conveyed through a three-dimensional painting technique; and all this is being brought together by a decorative richness of multi-color solution closely related to the traditional Russian brush-painting on chests and distaffs. Tray edges are finished with a golden ornamental pattern (also known as 'uborka'). The completed painting is covered by three layers of light varnish, being further polished to mirror luster.

'Russian Motifs' $582.17 Size: a approx. 8.7' Metric: a 22 cm Consists of: a 30 pieces Finish: a matte Availability: a ships within 12-17 business days Origin: a Russian Federation Product Details a As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. The whole set has a gentle matte finish. RUSSIAN BEAUTY What is a typical old Russian conception of woman's beauty? The ideal of a beautiful woman was considered to be a tall, strong and stately woman with red cheeks, blue eyes and blonde hair. Such women were well-represented by the renowned Russian painter, Boris Mikhailovich Kustodiev. Such woman's beauty was also taken as a starting point for original matryoshka making. In provincial Russia before the revolution the name Matryona or Matriyosha was a very popular female name. It was derived from the Latin root 'mater' which means 'mother'. This name was associated with the image of a mother of a big family who was very healthy and had a portly figure. Subsequently, it became a symbolic name and was used specially to describe brightly painted wooden dolls made in such a way that they could be taken apart to reveal smaller dolls fitting inside on another. The first nesting dolls of Sergiev Posad portrayed this special beauty: young girls dressed in Russian sarafans carrying baskets, scythes, bunches of flowers or dressed in winter short fur coats and scarves. The nesting doll before you is another great example of Russian beauty reflected in a matryoshka doll.

'Winter Scenes' $582.17 Size: a approx. 8.7' Metric: a 22 cm Consists of: a 30 pieces Finish: a matte Availability: a ships within 12-17 business days Origin: a Russian Federation Product Details a As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. The whole set has a gentle matte finish. RUSSIAN CLIMATE & VISITING RUSSIA Most of Russia has a continental climate ù the winters are bone chilling and the summers can be boiling. The swings are most extreme in southern and central Siberia, but even in Moscow temperatures can range from -30 to 30 Celsius (-20 to 100 Fahrenheit). The Black Sea coast and its resort communities tend to have the least swing. Late spring, early summer and the fall are good times to visit. During the hot summer months of July and August cities shut down as locals head to the countryside to live off the land at their dachas. In the beginning of September the ballets and the operas start back up and the cities come to life again. (The performing arts season runs from about September to May, although there are occasional shows in the summer, especially during St. Petersburg's White Nights Festival in June.) The first real cold hits Moscow and St. Petersburg sometime in November and there's usually snow on the ground from December through April. If you're prepared for the cold, Russia is often at its most beautiful under a blanket of snow. Winter is also the peak of the theater season and generally has fewer tourists. Steer clear of the mud and slush that covers the country during the spring thaw (April to May) and late fall. ® Copyright 'The MoscowTimes'

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