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Though the themes may differ, the basic design of Matryoshkas is always the same: they're sets of smooth, highly decorated cylindrical figures, each of which can be pulled apart to discover a smaller version inside until the smallest figure (which cannot be opened) is revealed. Matryoshkas are generally produced in sets of five or seven, though smaller and larger sets are available.
Traditionally the largest figure in the set is a woman, often dressed in a Russian folk costume called a sarafan. The smaller figures may be boys or girls, and the smallest of all is often a baby. But Matryoshkas may be decorated in an infinite variety of themes, ranging from animals to sports and even political figures.
Matroyshkas as we know them today date from the late 19th century, though the nested "object within an object" theme had been used in folkart, both in Russia and elsewhere, for many years. The first set of Russian nested dolls was designed by Sergei Maliutin, who was employed in a workshop on the estate of industrialist and arts patron Sava Mamontov.
It's believed that Maliutin was inspired by a set of Japanese nesting figures called Fukuruma. But there is also a legend that the first Fukuruma figures introduced to Japan were actually made by an unknown Russian monk.
The name Matryoshka is thought to come from Matryona, which was a popular and very common woman's name among the Russian peasants of the period. In the most traditional sets, the largest figure resembles a stout and smiling mother of a large family. In these early sets, great attention was paid to the faces of the figures, which were very expressive.
Russian artists of the period used Matryoshka sets to depict families, historical figures, and characters from legend and literature. By the start of the 20th century Matryoshka sets were being produced on a wide variety of themes, many of which featured the ethnic groups that influenced the Russian culture. Samoyed (Eskimo), Tatar, Lithuanian, Chinese, Ukranian, and Turkish influenced Matroyshka sets were common.
In the 1920s a new type of Matryoshka set was developed in Semionov, a small city famous for it's production of finely crafted wooden tableware and toys. As the Matryoshka created by the artisans of Semionov became more and more popular, they developed a distinctive style that remains popular today. The Semionov sets were slender, with a narrow top that flowed smoothly into a wide bottom. The faces of the sets were less portrait-like, and the main emphasis of the decoration was on the apron of each figure. Elaborately painted and even gilded floral patterns are typical of the aprons on Semionov sets.
During the Soviet period, individual artists were prohibited from making hand-crafted items for sale and though some Matryoshkas were produced in state-controlled factories, the unique beauty of the hand-made and carefully hand-painted figures was lacking. But following the collapse of the Communist system in the 1990s, Russian artists were once again free to create one-of-a-kind, handcrafted sets and they remain among the nation's most identifiable and creative folk art traditions.
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