Nesting or Matryoshka dolls (pronounced matr-yosh-ka) are dolls within dolls. Some models consist of as many as 20 dolls. The smallest may be a doll the size of a match head, but sometimes inside that match head-size-doll, there might be yet another smaller doll.

It is said that nesting dolls originated in China or Japan, but their first appearance in Russia was not until late 19th century, when Savva Mamontov, an industrialist and patron of arts was presented one from China or Japan.

This chance occurrence led Russia to become eminent in the design and manufacture of nesting dolls. Matryoshka dolls were on display at the Leipzig World Fair in Germany, where they enjoyed wide popularity. The world came to think of the nesting doll as being uniquely Russian and all others as being imitations.

The outer of the early doll-sets portrayed as a sturdy Russian woman, commonly viewed as the source of all Russian life. Within this doll were her children— the fruits of her family.

The attire of the mother doll was the ‘Sarafan’, a Russian national dress with an apron and a brightly coloured headscarf. Within the mother doll were as many as seven more dolls, with the smallest being a baby doll in diapers.

The Russian word applied to this sturdy woman who represented a mother is— Matryona. It is derived from the Russian word ‘mat’ that means mother. This in turn is derived from the Lain word, ‘mater’, which also means mother. Its similarity with Sanskrit ‘matru’, which also means mother, is obvious.

Russians call nesting dolls ‘Matryoskha dolls’. Nesting dolls were originally manufactured in Moscow. A nearby town, Sergiev Posad, named for its patron saint, Saint Sergei, had a flourishing wooden toy making industry, which had existed for several centuries.

The proximity of Sergiev Posad to Moscow and the large number of tourists visiting the town helped the industry to flourish.

Most of the nesting dolls sold the world over today come from Soviet Posad. However, many other new centres like Semyonov and Vyatka have come up now. Each centre has its own style of doll.

Instead of being simply painted figures, the nesting dolls are now exquisitely painted works of art with immerse detail.

Nesting dolls are hand made in India by a co-operative of about 150 artisans from villages around Bangalore. The Indian ethnic look is created with the design of the woman wearing a saree.

A doll is a child’s toy modelled in human form. It is perhaps the oldest plaything. A visit to Moscow is not complete without a visit to the museum of Matryoshka dolls. It is in ideal memento to be brought home.

They can also be seen in the Doll’s Museum at New Delhi.